All for Her
by Elegiac Bishop
Summary: In another world, Ochako wasn't born with Zero Gravity. She learned that all men were not created equal, that she was "without individuality," that she was inferior. One chance encounter, however, changed all this and set a different course in Ochako's life. She wanted to become a hero, but will she?
1. Ochako Uraraka: The Origin

**Ochako Uraraka: The Origin**

Ochako Uraraka didn't need anyone to tell her that all men were not created equal. She could see that as clear as day. After all, she knew what it was like to be "without individuality." She knew what it was like to be inferior.

Ochako Uraraka was an only daughter to a Quirkless couple. Due to an unusually high mutation rate in such offspring, the development of any kind of Quirk was almost always guaranteed. "Almost always" was the key term, and as fate would have it, Ochako was not lucky enough to be born with a Quirk.

At the tender age of four, Ochako was remarkably excited to find out what Quirk she would get, but when the doctor told her the harsh truth, that she had no Quirk, her spirit faltered. Her parents stared at her with tearful eyes while muttering apologies under raspy breaths. Despite her crushed morale, she told the doctor, "Well, that's OK," and while putting on a wide grin, "I'm just like Daddy and Mommy!" Her parents felt relieved by her response and embraced her. However, when the family got home, she locked herself in her room and cried the rest of the night. Her parents comforted her afterward, which made her feel better about being Quirkless. Alas, not everyone saw Quirklessness as something to shrug at and move on.

School became hell for her, as bullies with powerful Quirks began to pick on her for what she and her parents lacked. Some pointed and laughed at her whenever they saw her, while others saw fit to pull pranks on her without fear of retaliation. There were other Quirkless kids at her school, some were her friends, who gave her the semblance that it was OK to be Quirkless, but knowing this didn't help much when she was being targeted. _This isn't fair! This isn't right! Why should these bad people get such awesome powers?_ Ochako thought every time she was harassed.

Ochako took comfort in watching heroes save others from accidents and disasters, as she was assured that no matter what Quirk a person could have, there would come a time that they needed another's help. One hero by the name of No. 13, a hero dedicated to saving others through the use of his "Black Hole" Quirk, became a personal favorite of hers, as well as the number one superhero, All Might, who not only had immense strength but also had a heart that was more golden than his locks of hair. She dreamed to hear the words "You saved me!" directed towards her. Even as she marveled at their acts of heroism, she couldn't shake the idea that due to her lack of a Quirk, she would never be like them. Fortunately, this would change when she became six.

...

Perhaps it was fate, perhaps she was at the right place at the right time, perhaps she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Regardless, as Ochako walked home from school one day, a nearby teenager, much to his own chagrin, turned the soda can in his hand into dust as he took a sip, spilling its contents onto his red shoes. Muttering a curse under his breath, he looked around for anyone who may have seen his blunder. She was the only person in his sights.

"Wow, your Quirk is amazing!" Ochako stared at him in wonder.

The teen, wearing a black hoodie with the hood up, black pants, and red sneakers, seemed to glare for a moment before relaxing and started to scratch his chin. He glanced to his side and replied, "Yeah, it seems cool at first, but then it becomes a bother. I have to always think about what I touch with what." He then looked back to the young girl and asked, "So, what kinda Quirk do you have?"

Ochako looked down, her smile quickly replaced with a frown, and answered, " I don't have a Quirk, My parents don't have one either."

The teen began to ruffle his messy white hair, and after taking a few seconds to contemplate his thoughts on the matter, he asked for her name, and she gave her an answer.

"Ochako Uraraka, what an interesting name. My name is … Tomura Shigaraki. What if I told you that you could get yourself a Quirk?"

Ochako's eyes were wider than they've ever been before, and her jaw would've fallen to the floor had it not been attached to her. She could hardly believe Tomura's words. She couldn't believe that somebody like her, somebody who'd been called worthless, a waste, inferior over the span of two years, could finally have what she was missing.

She could finally be normal. She could finally make a difference.

"Well, what's your answer? I don't have all day," Tomura told her. If one couldn't tell by his tone, his fingers tapping his crossed arms were a dead giveaway to his impatience.

Once he saw Ochako vigorously shake her head in approval, he sighed and pulled out a phone. He dialed a number in, waited for a reply, and began to speak.

"Kurogiri, it's me, Shigaraki. Take me to the bar. I have someone who wants to see Sensei. My location? Right, just give me a sec."

Seconds passed before a swirling black mist appeared before them. Ochako eyed the portal, unsure of what to do, before casting her gaze back to Tomura, who scouted for potential witnesses.

"What are you waiting for? If you want a Quirk, get in."

The promise of a Quirk gave her the courage to enter the portal. Once she did, she found herself in a place that seemed comfy. There were various bottles of different sizes and colors lined up on shelves behind a counter. Once Tomura stepped in, the black mist receded to reveal a suit with a tie, black pants, metal plating around what would be a neck, and two glowing eyes.

"Shigaraki, when you said that you wanted to bring someone over, I didn't think that you meant a child," Kurogiri whispered while glaring daggers at the teenager.

"So what if she's a child? She doesn't have a Quirk, she wants one, and Sensei will give one to her. After he gives her a Quirk, she'll want to do whatever to keep it."

"And what potential could he possibly see in taking in a young child?"

"Well, you're looking at the result of the last time he did that."

It was at this point that a man, sharply dressed in a black suit, entered the room. Tomura stepped forward, bowed to him, and uttered, "Sensei, we have a person who wants a Quirk."

The man looked past him and saw Ochako. He gave Tomura a nod, and walked towards her. Sensei then knelt on one knee to look her at eye level.

"So, you'd like to have a Quirk?"

Feebly, Ochako answered, "Y-yes. I do."

"Why? What would you do with the Quirk I've given you?" There was no malice in his voice. Instead, he sounded curious, like a patient father asking his daughter why she would want a new phone.

"Because ... because it's not right that people treat me differently because I don't have a Quirk. It's not right that Daddy gets left behind because people with Quirks do his job with less work. It's not right that the people with power use it to attack people without power!" Ochako didn't realize that she was suddenly shouting, nor that she started to tear up. She realized the problems she saw in society, namely that the strong flourish upon the bodies of the weak. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "Because I want to save others."

The man spent a few seconds contemplating her outburst of emotions before coming to a conclusion.

"I will gift a Quirk to you, and with it, you will have the power to change this world!"

If Ochako wasn't crying already, she certainly was now. Her dreams, so distant that they seemed to be from another lifetime, were now right in her reach, ready to become reality. She would prove them all wrong.

Sensei smiled and extended his open hand while saying, "Now, give me your hand." Ochako did, and her own hand seemed so tiny, it seemed to be engulfed in his hand. Suddenly, she felt something surge through her body. It was unlike anything she had felt before. She felt powerful.

"I have given you the Quirk of Zero Gravity. Whenever you touch an object or a person with all five of your fingers, you will make it as if they had no weight. In other words, they won't fall but instead float. You can even make yourself float. To make something stop floating, press all ten of your fingers against each other. However, don't use your Quirk too much, especially on yourself, or you'll feel sick or pass out from the strain."

Tomura scoffed at the correlation via activation to his Quirk, while Kurogiri seemed pleased by Ochako's joy.

"Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome, but please don't tell anyone about this."

"Why not?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"Well, if people know that I can give Quirks, everyone will want me to give them Quirks. However, I can only give Quirks that I've taken from others, others who aren't using their gifts to their fullest potential. In fact, there are people out there who hate me for how I used my Quirk, All for One."

Ochako understood the implications of the man being able to take away Quirks and promised to not tell anyone. It was then that she noticed the new growths on her hands. On her fingertips, there were small pads.

"Sensei, look! I have cat hands now!"

"Hmm? Oh, so you do." Sensei didn't give Quirks to the Quirkless often anymore, and when he and the previous owner had Zero Gravity, neither had those pads. _Her body must have grown them when she received that Quirk. Fascinating._

"Kurogiri, please send Uraraka home."

"Very well, Sensei."

The entire event took less than thirty minutes, so when her parents asked about her lateness, Ochako explained that she spent some time talking to a friend. Then, she told them, "Daddy, Mommy, my Quirk showed up today!"

"Really?! We're so proud of you! Tell us, what is it?"

And so she explained her Quirk to them as best she could, showing her fingertip pads as proof. She was able to make some forks and spoons float above the ground, but when she tried to make herself float, she vomited, just as Sensei warned her.

 **For the first time in two years, she went to bed thinking of her future and just how big it seemed.**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows! I finally decided to crosspost my work on both this site (Although it did take a while to figure out this site...) and Archive of Our Own! I came up with this fanfiction after reading Nhitori's** _ **Beautiful**_ **(** **/works/7901521** **) which I recommend reading. Feel free to leave criticisms and comments. I'm going through and editing the chapters I already posted on AO3 before uploading them here. I plan to post the updated chapters here every three days, but if you don't want to wait, you can find the work on AO3 at the link. (** **/works/9911279/chapters/22209986** **) Just attach that to the end of the main site and you'll be sent to the story.**


	2. Mind Over Matter

**Chapter** _ **2:**_ **M** **ind** **Over** **Matter**

The day after she received her Quirk, Ochako went to school. When a kid came by to make fun of her, she touched him with all five of her fingers, making him float above the floor.

"H-hey, what did you do to me?!"

"It's my Quirk, Zero Gravity. I just got it today," Ochako replied with a wide grin, before she quickly released him due to a sharp rise in nausea.

Everyone was awestruck by her display, but the teacher quickly regained her composure and scolded her.

"Ochako Uraraka, while it's great that your Quirk finally manifested itself, please remember to not use it in public."

"I will!"

At lunch, Ochako was the center of attention, but now, people did not taunt her. Instead, they were fascinated at her Quirk, and wanted to see it work. Ochako had to stop herself before she lost the lunch she just ate. She reassured her Quirkless friends that they would remain friends and that she didn't care if they were Quirkless.

After school ended, Ochako saw Tomura at the same place. This time, he was waiting for her, mildly annoyed because he had to be there.

"Hey, Uraraka. Sensei wants to hear from you every now and then to see if you developed that Quirk of yours." She couldn't let Sensei down, not after what he did for her. She would later meet Tomura once every couple of weeks and give him updates on how she developed her Quirk.

...

As time passed, Ochako trained her Quirk through floating objects, preferably objects that wouldn't shatter, around the house. By the time she was seven, she could float an object without having to concentrate on making it float. This had the unintended side effect of floating things when she didn't mean to. One time, she picked up a heavy textbook with her hand, and unexpectedly thrown it to the ceiling because she underestimated when her Quirk would activate. Much like Tomura, she had to be careful of what she touched, and she gained a habit of curling her fingers inward so the fingertips wouldn't be exposed. To sleep, her parents gave her mittens so she wouldn't accidentally activate her Quirk and float away from her bed.

When she was nine, she could already float a weight equal to one metric ton for a short time. However, when she saw Shigaraki, who appeared to not have slept in a solid month, she forgot what she was going to tell him. Instead, she asked, "What's the matter, Shigaraki?"

He told her, "Sensei, he's not doing so well. He was gravely injured in a recent battle."

"Really?! Take me to him now! I want to see him with my own eyes!"

"Alright, alright. You don't have to shout at me." Tomura immediately pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Kurogiri, she wants to see Sensei. We're still in the same spot."

After Kurogiri warped them to the bar, he pointed towards a television screen. On it was Sensei, his face horrifyingly disfigured, connected to a machine that let him breath through various tubes. He lost all his hair, and his head was covered in scar tissue down to his upper lip. Ochako couldn't even tell if he still had eyes.

"Wh-what happened to you? Who did this to you?!"

Despite not having visible ears, Sensei detected her voice, and solemnly responded, " I told you that I had enemies, right? Well, what I didn't tell you was that my greatest enemy is All Might."

Ochako gasped with disbelief at the mention of the number one superhero. "N-no, All Might is the kindest pro hero out there. He would never do this to anyone!"

Sensei frowned at her reaction. "Ochako, I know that it's hard to think of him as someone who would hurt another grievously, but what I tell you is the truth. Besides, he's not much better off, not after I tore a hole in his gut."

She remembered the recent news reports questioning All Might's sudden disappearance, as well as the reports of the surge of crime that occurred afterward.

 _Is that why All Might's not active right now? All Might isn't the invincible hero we thought he was?_

"To tell you the truth, he was not the first to directly oppose me. In fact, he is the eighth in a long line of people who wanted to end me, the first being my younger brother." Sensei's voice had snapped her out of her thoughts, and her attention was back towards the scarred man.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. I would've died a long time ago were it not for a Longevity Quirk that I took. Perhaps I'll tell you the full story another day. You have a phone, right?"

"Yes, I do," she answered. Kurogiri gestured to Tomura, who walked towards her.

"Here," Tomura said as he gave her a piece of paper with three phone numbers written on it. Next to them were names, Tenko, Kuro, and Sensei. She looked back to him, baffled.

"What's that face for? It's our phone numbers. Put us in as contacts under those names so we don't seem suspicious. Call Kurogiri if you want to get somewhere quickly."

"I'd rather you not tell her to abuse my Warp Gates, Shigaraki," Kurogiri stated, voicing his annoyance at Tomura's reckless usage of his Quirk. The day they met Ochako, Tomura, saying that he needed supplies, used his Warp Gate Quirk to go to an alley near to a convenience store to grab a soda. He thought, _I swear, Uraraka's more mature than him sometimes._

Sensei spoke once more. "Now that we've cleared things up, how are you, Ochako? Any improvements to your Quirk?"

...

Three years later, Sensei, although bedridden from a recent operation and thus speaking from the TV screen, asked Ochako about the high school she wanted to go to.

"I want to go to U.A. High. If I go there, I'm sure to make a change in the world!" With a bittersweet smile, she stated, remembering the death of one of her Quirkless friends over the past year, "Maybe I'll finally be able to save someone."

"So you're planning to go to the top high school in the nation. Well, if you wish to go there, you'll have to devote yourself to your goal."

Tomura didn't even bother pausing his Mario game to give his opinion on the matter. "Don't bother. The school's probably filled to the brim with pompous pricks." His character fell into a bottomless pit after missing a platform. "Dammit! I died again."

Kurogiri quipped, "Mind your language, Shigaraki. A child is present."

"I'll mind my fucking language as I damn please, Kurogiri!"

"Enough." Sensei's voice was more than enough to pacify Tomura. "Now, Ochako, you are aware that Tomura, Kurogiri, and I are considered to be villains, right? Eventually, you may have to choose whether to officially join us or to fight us."

"Yes, I know. But I want to give Mom and Dad the comfortable life they never got to have! I asked Dad if I could work for his construction company, but he told me to follow my own dreams."

Tomura responded, "Just become a villain. You'd get a lot of money quickly that way."

"Tomura, that's enough." Sensei looked in his general direction before turning back to Ochako. "When you get to U.A., don't forget about us, or worse, turn us in, alright?"

"I would never, Sensei. You were kind enough to give me a Quirk, and my life's better now because of it!"

"Good. Know that I'm willing to help you fulfill your dreams."

Ochako had to go home, and after she passed through Kurogiri's black mist, Tomura questioned Sensei on his promise. "Why would you help her become a hero?! What if she turns us in? What if she fights us?"

"Be patient, Tomura. Deep down, she hates those who are born into success. Once she glimpses into the pro hero system, she'll see how flawed it is. She'll see heroes abuse their Quirks for fame, fortune, and power, and she'll want to change that system through any means necessary."

"Even though she's in it for the money as well?"

"Yes. Because she is driven by a noble cause, she'll notice the heroes who work solely for their personal benefit, and she'll become appalled. In addition, she'll provide valuable inside information about U.A. High, the staff, and the students. We could always use another villain on our side."

"So she's like a human strategy guide to beating U.A.?"

Sensei couldn't help but chuckle. "I suppose so, Tomura. I suppose so."

The next two years of Ochako's memories were blurred and cut until what remained resembled a training montage. With Sensei's advice on how to more effectively use her Quirk, she was now able to float four tons for several seconds, and she could float herself for twenty seconds before having to stop.

Ochako went to bed nervous yet hopeful, for when she would wake up, she would have to take the U.A. entrance exam. One last thought crossed her mind before she fell asleep.

 _ **This is it! If I don't do well here, I'll never have another chance!**_

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows! I would've had this done much sooner, but I put a waiting period of three days on updates to account for all the stuff my family wants to do as well as any personal reasons I have such as video games (I'm still on the last trial of finish _PW: Spirit of_ _Justice_ ). Anyway, hope you have a nice day/night!**


	3. Entrance Exam

**Chapter 3: Entrance Exam**

Ochako woke up early to get to U.A. High on time. She thought, _I'll have to move closer to U.A. if I get in. That way, I'll save money on transport._ Indeed, her dreams of letting her parents live a comfortable life didn't leave her sight. On the train ride to U.A., Ochako mulled over Sensei's teachings.

"From my time using your Quirk, I've learned that Zero Gravity is a rather misleading title for your Quirk. Rather, think of it as a telekinesis that naturally tends towards making an object float above the ground. You will be able to manipulate the direction an object floats towards if you picture it flying in that direction. If you picture it flying faster, you will apply more force to make it fly faster, but you will also approach your limit faster. When releasing, focus on specific objects or parts to release so others will still float. For example, if you cancel your Quirk on a person's body while applying a strong upward force to the head alone, you could effectively tear their necks apart."

Shaking the mental image from her mind, Ochako got off the train and stepped through U.A. High's security gate, nicknamed the "U.A. Barrier." _I hope that I can make it big here! If I don't get in…_

"Fuck off, Deku!"

An angry outburst from her right prevented her from finishing her thoughts. Looking to her side, she saw a blond teen storm off towards the academy, while another teenager with messy green hair was left behind. Despite the latter's determined expression, his legs were shaky, and as he took another step, he tripped over his own feet. Without thinking, Ochako reached out and touched his backpack with her right hand. The bag floated up, bringing the youth with it. After a second, he realized that his face had yet to greet the ground, and the boy soon flailed around when he looked down to see the road at least a meter away. Ochako helped him down gently and cancelled her Quirk before explaining herself.

"Sorry. Guess I went a bit crazy with my Quirk there. It would've been a bad omen if you tripped, y'know? I'm so nervous, and I bet you are too! Anyway, good luck. Later!" Ochako was too busy justifying her actions that she failed to notice the teen's blush and breathlessness.

 _If we're fighting robots, then maybe there's a use for Sensei's decapitation technique,_ Ochako thought as she listened to Present Mic's explanation of the practical exam. Suddenly, one student who wore glasses stood up and asked Present Mic why he mentioned three types of enemies when there were four listed on the handout. Before receiving a response, he immediately went on to single out a "curly-haired" kid for mumbling throughout the presentation. He then felt every eye in the room gaze in his direction for a few seconds, including Ochako's. _It's that kid from before,_ Ochako realized, but as with everyone else, her attention quickly returned to Present Mic, who explained that the fourth robot was an obstacle worth zero points and soon dismissed them to their respective testing areas.

...

As the number one high school in the nation, one would expect U.A. High to have a massive budget, but no one expected the entrance exam to take place in a mock city, not to mention that there were several similar mock cities. _Everyone seems so confident…_ Ochako wished that she could say the same for herself. She could hardly breathe, for the fierce tension seemed to solidify the air.

"Aaand start!" Although they were outside and a great distance apart, Present Mic's voice remained as loud as it did in the auditorium.

A collective "Huh?" rang out among the competitors.

"What's the matter?! There's no countdown to a real battle! Go on! Run! Consider the torch passed on to you, prospective students!"

Although Ochako was close to the gate, people quickly ran past her, and before she started running herself, she found herself near the back of the horde. After the crowd dispersed, she found a one-point robot. Deciding that ripping its head off was too complex to attempt without practice, she opted to float the robot up before sending it down with a crash. She tried to do this with multiple robots at once to save time having to release, but late into the test, she discarded this method in favor of ripping the robots' heads off once other people started taking advantage of the floating robots, especially an eccentric blond with a laser-firing belt. He had taken out a group of robots worth 5 points with a single blast.

Ochako looked towards him and asked, "Hey! What gives?"

The blond replied, "You provided easy targets, that's all. We'd make a great team, you and I." He then staggered off, clutching his stomach as if he was about to throw up. "However, I feel that the time is right for me to retire. I already have enough points as is. Adieu."

Despite the setback, Ochako, albeit tired from the continued use of her Quirk and running around the testing area, managed to accumulate 28 points. Unfortunately, as she ran around, other people were shouting their scores, many much higher than hers. With only a few minutes left on the clock, that was when the ginormous zero-point robot, designed to be an obstacle, attacked.

Most people began to run away from the robot. Some deemed it a distraction from getting points, others were scared out of their wits by the sheer size of it, but all Ochako could do was stand in place and watch it demolish the city. In its rampage, rubble fell towards Ochako. She began to run, but she stumbled and fell as debris fell on her right foot. The massive robot began to advance in her direction.

 _N-no big deal. I just have to float the rubble away and run. There's still time to get more points! Now if only I could reach it…_ Ochako turned her head back to see if she could extend her arm to touch the pile, but the cries of a crowd caused her to snap her head back in time to see the same messy-haired boy she'd seen twice already running towards her. _He plans to help me? But what about the test?_

The teenager would help her, just not in the way she expected. Without a warning, he shot up into the air, a light blue rocket aimed at the behemoth's face. With a single punch, he sent the automaton reeling back, having left a depression far deeper and wider than himself. A chorus of gasps emerged, and everyone's eyes were trained on the tiny dot in the sky. Unlike the rest, who were still stunned by his show of strength, Ochako noticed something strange about his descent. _Wait, something's not right… Oh God, he's falling head first!_

Ignoring the pain and discomfort she felt, Ochako quickly reached to the pile of debris that was restraining her and made it rise. She got up to her feet and surveyed the area for anything she could fit on top of to reach the falling teen. She found an intact rocket launcher from a three-point robot. _This'll do,_ she concluded as she floated herself atop before floating it in the path of the boy. _I have to time this just right. One second too early or too late, and he'll die!_ She could feel her stomach starting to churn, but she ignored it as the teen rapidly drew closer.

 _Now!_ Ochako slapped her target across his left cheek and forced him to stop short one meter off the ground before releasing him. However, the intense surge of nausea from stopping his rapid descent was too much for Ochako to handle, and she ended up losing her breakfast. As she vomited, she heard the fellow she had just rescued speak.

"If… I… could just… get… a single point!"

 _A single point? He had that much power, and he couldn't even get a single point?!_ thought Ochako.

"The test is over!" The kid's hopes of even landing on the scoreboards, as well as Ochako's hopes to get more points to pass the exam, were dashed at President Mic's announcement. Disappointed in her low score, Ochako took solace by listening to the people who were examining the desperate boy.

"It's broken! His arm and legs are broken! There're fractures everywhere!"

The news of the teenager's status shook Ochako out of her nauseated stupor. _No way! He couldn't have nearly sacrificed his life, broken his limbs, and ruined his chances of getting into U.A. just to save me! He doesn't know me! All I did before was stop him from falling down. Why? Why go through such lengths to save a Quirkless nobody?!_ As she stared at the youth, she saw that his entire right arm was worn raw and that his legs and arm were contorted in directions impossible to achieve without completely snapping one's bones. Thankfully, Recovery Girl was on the site to help him heal in a matter of seconds, but his sacrifice resonated within Ochako's mind for the rest of the day.

Even if she couldn't get into U.A. High, she would not let the boy's actions go unnoticed. Immediately after the test ended, Ochako sought out Present Mic to ask him if she could give the boy her points. To her surprise, Present Mic refused, telling her that he probably didn't need her points, and that she shouldn't worry about the low score she got during the physical exam. Once out of any person's sight, Ochako had Kurogiri warp her to the bar so she could talk to Sensei.

"So, how was the test? Did you use what I taught you?" Sensei asked over the TV screen, waiting to undergo yet another operation to improve his breathing.

"Y-yeah. Just fine."

"You don't sound fine. What's the matter?" Kurogiri questioned her statement.

"I-it's just that I only got 28 points."

Sensing her dismay, Sensei changed the topic. "Have you met any outstanding individuals?"

Ochako's face immediately relaxed, and she responded, " Well, there was a disciplined guy who had exhaust pipes on his calves. I think he's related to Ingenium. And there was this boy…" Her face tensed up again. "He had a lot of power! He jumped higher than the buildings, and he punched this giant robot so hard he left a crater in its face! But he ended up breaking his arm and legs… just to save me. He didn't even get a single point!"

Sensei fell silent and withdrew to his thoughts. The description of the boy's feats and decisions brought his greatest enemy to mind. _No! Has All Might already found someone to inherit One for All? Well, if his successor is that boy she mentioned, then he only recently passed on his Quirk. It'll probably take several months for All Might to drastically weaken and permanently lose use of One for All, but I am slowly growing weaker and weaker every day! Damn that self-righteous superhero!_

Meanwhile, Tomura, who only recently started playing _The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time_ on the 3DS, was quick to voice his displeasure. "Tch. _Another_ wannabe hero. Probably idolizes All Might like he's a saint. Those kind of people disgust me." In his game, a Deku Scrub popped up and attacked his character. Upon trying to retaliate with a sword slash, it hid underground. "Fuck you, Deku Scrub! Heh, they had the right idea when they named it. It acts all tough from a distance, but when you get close enough, it hides like a coward! Hell, 'Deku' means 'one who can't do anything' in Japanese."

Ochako replied, "Really? I felt that it meant 'I can do it,' when spelled with different characters. Also, you should block its attacks with your shield."

"You're not the boss of me, Uraraka," Tomura retorted, only to get hit again by the same Deku Scrub. "Go to hell!"

"I have to go now. I'll be back to tell you if I got in!"

...

A week later, Ochako received a letter from U.A. High. Wasting no time in opening it, she found a holographic projector inside. She thought, _How much money does U.A. have?_ The projector activated, playing a video featuring All Might dressed in a yellow business suit.

"Ochako Uraraka. You did well enough on the written exam, but I'm afraid 28 points on the practical exam was not enough." She frowned at her inability to score higher. "But have no fear, for a video's here!" He gestured to a screen behind him, which showed the moment she saved the kid with the powerful Quirk. "The judges were looking beyond smashing robots just for points! Did you think the heroics department would reject an entrant for doing just what a hero would do? Nonsense! It's a hero's responsibility to go beyond to save others! Therefore, the judges gave points based on heroic actions like yours. You get 45 additional 'rescue' points, bringing your total to 73 points! While we're handing out points, Izuku Midoriya gets 60 rescue points! Both of you have passed, and I look forward to teaching you at U.A. High, your hero academia."

When the video ended, Ochako couldn't resist breaking into tears. _My hard work, Sensei's efforts in teaching me, Kurogiri and Shigaraki's support, everything we've done… has finally paid off._

That night, she announced to Sensei, Tomura, and Kurogiri, "I did it! I got into U.A. High!"

"You've done well, my student. I'm very proud of you," Sensei confessed from the other side of the television screen, clapping in celebration.

Kurogiri, although he lacked a visible face, was undoubtedly glad that she was accepted, but Tomura disagreed and said, "Eh, still think the school's loaded with pompous pricks." Kurogiri hit him with his elbow, prompting the latter to say something more positive. He let out an annoyed sigh and muttered, " _Fine_. Congrats, Uraraka."

Ochako grinned widely, and she responded, "Thanks for supporting me! I won't let you down!"

 **A bright future lies ahead, but with light comes darkness!**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows! To answer Angryboy13's question of why I don't simply copy and paste, I wanted to give myself a reason to look back at my past chapters and fix what I don't like to try and make it better. For example, if I simply copied and pasted, I would have never realized that I wrote "President Mic" when it was supposed to be "Present Mic."**


	4. Hi, High School!

**Chapter 4: Hi, High School!**

Several weeks later, Ochako began her first day at U.A. High. Having moved to an apartment close to the campus, she walked to her school, thinking of her new classmates. _Wonder if anyone I've met got in. 'Specially that green-haired guy._ Her question would quickly be answered when she got to her homeroom and saw the individual in question just inside.

"Hey! You're the guy who saved me during the entrance exam! I was worried that you didn't get in when you said that you didn't get a single point and all, but you're here now. I mean, sending that huuuuge robot flying with one punch, incredible!" As she mentioned his superhuman feat, her right hand became a fist and swung up and down.

"I-aah, err…"

Were she not busy gushing over what Izuku did, Ochako would've noticed that he was undergoing a nervous breakdown over talking to a girl again. (Again, he didn't say a word.)

"If you're done with the chitchat, sit down. Class is about to start." Their admittedly one-sided conversation was cut short by a ragged man inside a yellow sleeping bag lying down on the floor behind them.

"Wh-who are you?"

"My name is Shouta Aizawa, and I'll be your homeroom teacher. Put on your gym uniforms, we're heading outside." Once outside, he continued speaking, "Up until now, society has restrained you from using your Quirk in order to make things 'fair' for everyone. Now, that changes. Now, you will have to find ways to use your Quirks to enhance your physical performance. Oh, and one more thing. The person who places last… will be expelled from U.A."

With the possibility of expulsion on the first day, Ochako thought, _I'm not about to let Sensei or Tomura down!_ Thankfully, Zero Gravity gave her fantastic results from the long jump and the softball throw, with the ball registering an 'infinity' because she overdid her Quirk and sent it into orbit. She made mental notes of her classmates' Quirks, such as the sheer speed Tenya Iida, younger brother of the pro hero Ingenium, had due to his Engine Quirk or the propulsion the blond from the entrance exam, whom she now knew as Yuga Aoyama, had when he fired his laser. She also noticed how Izuku refused to use his Quirk and ranked poorly as a result. _I wonder why that is. Shouldn't he be able to control his power output?_ Then, during his turn at the softball throw, Shouta stopped Izuku from breaking his arm with his Quirk. As it turned out, Shouta was the pro hero Eraserhead, able to suppress one's ability to use their Quirk as long as he could stare at them.

Shouta said, "You were about to break your entire arm just to throw that ball as far as you could, and then you would've gone to Recovery Girl to get it healed. Is that what you were planning, Midoriya?"

The teen stammered, "I-I…"

"I've seen you perform at that idiotic entrance exam. As a hero, your job is to save others. You have power, yes, but you'll make a poor excuse for a hero if you require saving shortly after recklessly using your Quirk." The man closed his glowing red eyes before staring at Izuku with his normal black eyes. "You have one last try. Make it quick."

When Izuku wound up for his next pitch, he thought, _I can't let All Might down! Unlike the others, I had this Quirk for far less time! They spent their lives honing and controlling their Quirks. If I want to stand by them, I'll have to work harder than any of them in order to catch up! Now, focus my energy into one point, the last point of contact between the ball and my hand, and…_ "Smash!" The ball shot through the sky at an impressive velocity before landing 705.3 meters away, barely besting Katsuki Bakgou's throw.

Worried over the state of his body, Ochako glanced at his right arm. She gasped when she focused on his hand. She thought, _This time, he only broke his finger, but he was still able to throw it farther than most of us! Where does he get all that power?_

Even with that impressive throw, Izuku was still ranked last out of the twenty students, but as it turned out, Shouta's threat of expulsion was a "logical ruse," as he put it, to encourage them to do their best. Lunch was served by the hero Lunch-rush for little to no cost, which thrilled Ochako. As she ate, she started to take down notes and sketches of her classmates on a piece of loose-leaf. She thought, _It'll be hard to remember all of them by the time I talk to Sensei. Better write what I know now, and then I can update this later. Perhaps I should invest in a separate notebook for this._

A voice behind her asked, "You analyze Quirks too?" Ochako panicked and covered the paper with her arms, nearly spilling her lunch in the process. When she turned to look at the speaker, she saw the same boy she met earlier, Izuku.

After a brief moment, Ochako rubbed the back of her head and responded, "Well, it's just that our class is full of interesting people. I can't help my curiosity of how their Quirks work and can be used."

Izuku's eyes began to shine upon hearing this, and he became excited. "I know, right? I mean, have you seen Iida run? And then there's your infinity throw. And don't get me _started_ on Kacchan's Quirk!"

Ochako was confused for a second before asking,"Wait, who's Kacchan?"

"M-my bad. That was my nickname for Bakugou. We've known each other since childhood."

"Really now? Has he always been this hostile to you?"

"He only started to look down on everyone, especially me, after he found his Quirk and everyone praised him for it."

"Wait, how can he look down on someone like you, born with such an awesome Quirk?"

Anxiously rubbing the back of his head, although he disguised it as embarrassment, he responded, "W-well, I only discovered it last year." He thought, _Well, that's not too big a lie. It_ was _about a year ago when All Might told me the secrets of One for All._

"Seriously?!" Izuku could've sworn that Ochako's eyes grew as big as the plate on her tray.

"Yeah, I still haven't gotten full control over it, as you saw back at the Entrance Exam. Before then, everyone thought that I had no Quirk whatsoever, or that I had one that was completely useless."

Nodding her head, she agreed, "I feel ya. I was six when I finally found out about my Quirk. Must've been too weak to float anything until then. Anyway, back on the matter of nicknames, did Bakugou have one for you?"

Izuku looked pained, a first for the conversation, and he muttered, "It's Deku, based off my first name, Izuku. Kacchan said that it meant 'good-for-nothing,' and he's called me that ever since we were four."

Before speaking, Ochako thought, _I can't shake the feeling that I've had this conversation before._ Then, she said, "Well, I've heard that 'Deku' can also be interpreted as 'I can do it!' with different characters."

Izuku was surprised before he put on a wide smile. "Really? Thanks, Uraraka! You have no idea how much I've wanted to prove Kacchan wrong! I haven't shown you my Quirk analysis notebook yet, have I?"

"I'd be thrilled to take a look, Deku!" She noticed that the finger he hurt during the physical exam was already patched up.

As he pulled out his notebook, Izuku blushed and thought, _Man, it already sounds better when she's saying it._ "Here it is. I meant to work on it during lunch, but right now, I only have a section about Kacchan in there."

"Wow! It's very detailed, down to how it really works. Nitroglycerin sweat, huh. How'd you do it?"

"Well, I've known him for years. I've been writing these journals since I was four. I have thirteen other notebooks on pro heroes alone."

Ochako slammed the table and leaned towards Izuku, who leaned back in response. "Thirteen?! Sound's like you've been busy. Mind if I help you write these?"

"S-sure!"

…

After the school day ended, she texted Kurogiri her new address so she could be warped to the bar. She thought, _No doubt Sensei would want to hear about my first day at U.A.!_ However, as the black mist dispersed around her, she made out an unfamiliar muscular figure facing her, easily towering over her. _W-what is that?_ Once her vision was clear, she stared into the eyes of a black humanoid wearing khaki shorts and skull knee pads. It had a bird beak for a mouth, had scars across its arms, and its brain, having eyeballs embedded into the folds, was exposed. Caught off guard, Ochako let out a shriek that shattered a nearby glass, and she jumped over the counter behind her. Kurogiri sighed and looked for a dustpan to sweep the broken glass up.

While in hiding, Ochako heard Tomura laugh. "Scary cool, right? He's called a Noumu."

"Not funny, Tomura!"

Tomura's joy immediately became frustration. "Don't call me that! You don't have the right to say my first name just because you have Sensei's favor. How would I know whether or not you were planning to turn us over to the police?!"

"We've known each other for eight years! Besides, I came here to tell you about my first day!"

Having cleaned the broken glass, Kurogiri decided to step in. "Calm down, you two. Now, Ochako, Sensei is currently undergoing yet another operation, so please tell us your story so we can tell him later. Afterwards, Shigaraki can tell you about Noumu, Sensei's latest project." He tapped on one of the stools. "Now, please take a seat. Ochako, I assume you would like some green tea."

"No. Just water, please."

She then told them about her classmates and the Quirks that they exhibited. Tomura had some choice statements to make over some classmates.

"Wait, you mean to tell me you have Endeavor's son _and_ Ingenium's brother as your classmates?"

"Yeah. Todoroki seems to be as cold as his Quirk, I suppose, and Iida is a rather dutiful person."

"You also got Eraserhead as a teacher. Heard he expelled an entire freshman class last year because he didn't see potential in them."

"Wh- really?! We could've been expelled?!"

"Yeah. Some of those ex-students are criminals now. Anyway, how about that boy, Midoriya? Is he that pointless loser back at the entrance exam? Tch, seems like a waste of time if you ask me. How do you plan to get anywhere if you can only throw one or two punches before having to call it quits?"

"He's getting the hang of it, though. He only broke one finger!"

"Whatever." Tomura shrugged, but in the back of his head, he thought, _That Bakugou sounds like real villain material, what with his personality. Wonder if we can convince him to change sides? Wait, can we even trust what she's saying?_ As Tomura thought for the future, Kurogiri turned to him.

"Shigaraki, now that we've heard Ochako's story, why don't you tell her about Noumu?" When Tomura got Noumu from Sensei, he was like a child who had gotten a new dog. His enthusiasm persisted into his explanation of the creature.

"Noumu here is only one of five, each one very unique. This one is the best one yet, the bioengineered Anti-Symbol of Peace, designed to crush All Might himself into dust."

Hearing this intimidated Ochako, but the fear quickly transformed into confusion. "Wait, Sensei made this… thing? I thought he dealt with Quirks, not genetic engineering."

"Well, what I heard from Sensei is that Noumu is the result of a person's body violently rejecting a Quirk given to them, to the point of destroying their ability to think for themselves, but not their ability to take orders. They become powerful puppets, so to speak. Noumu has tow Quirks: Shock Absorption and Super Regeneration, minimizing and negating any damage All Might could do to this thing. Watch."

Tomura laid all five fingers on Noumu's shoulder for a second. The skin and muscle instantly began to crumble away, exposing white bone as Noumu shrieked in pain yet did nothing to stop Tomura. He let go, and a few more seconds, the lost muscle and skin regrew, practically removing any and all evidence of damage, save for the scars that were present on its past skin. Despite his claims of not trusting Ochako, Tomura was telling the truth when it came to Noumu's Quirks.

Ochako felt disgusted at the sight, but she was practically an expert on resisting the urge to vomit, at least when she didn't exceed her limit. "We've been here a while, huh. I'd better get back to my apartment, Kurogiri. Thanks for having me over!"

"No problem, Ochako." After Kurogiri warped her, he walked over to Tomura to discuss their plans. "Now, how will we go about killing All Might?"

"We get our hands on a U.A. schedule and attack when All Might is away from the main building. Simple enough."

"And how do we plan on obtaining a schedule?"

"Uraraka said that All Might's now teaching, right? Someone's bound to tell the news reporters, who'll be moths drawn to All Might's sickening glow. I'll let them through the front gate and swipe a schedule in the chaos."

Kurogiri nodded in understanding and approval."Hm. You're more cunning than I give you credit for, Shigaraki."

"Well, maybe if you'd stop treating me like a child, you'd see just how cunning I can be." He pulled out a rubber ball from his pocket and whistled for Noumu before tossing the ball across the room. "Noumu, fetch."

As the monstrosity chased after the toy, Kurogiri thought, _Nevermind, he's still a manchild._

…

A few days later, Ochako came in again to tell Tomura, Kurogiri, and Sensei about the Battle Trials held under All Might, where teams of two would face off against each other Heroes vs. Villains style. She was paired up with Izuku to face off against Tenya and Katsuki, hoping to secure the 'nuclear weapon' to win. They did indeed win because Izuku created an opening for Ochako to secure the weapon, but in the process, Izuku broke his arm again and Ochako lost her lunch yet on this, she thought, _Another 20-yen coin to the "Vomit Due to Overusing Your Quirk" jar, I suppose. Sure,_ _I'm already pinching pennies_ , _but a physical representation of emergency cash is always nice to have on hand,_ she thought.

After hearing her tale, Sensei was the first to ask a question. "Wait, did you just call one of your classmates 'Deku', as in, good-for-nothing?"

Tomura immediately butted in. "See? I told you that name is an insult!"

Ochako responded, "Yeah, you did say that, but I know it can be used in the sense of 'I can do it!' When I told him this, he kept the name. He's really good at analyzing Quirks, especially Bakugou's. They've known each other for years, but they're not on the best of terms." After seeing a replay of their fight, Ochako knew that this was an understatement.

Sensei nodded. _Katsuki Bakugou. I swear I've heard that name before._ "Thank you for telling me this. Now, please go home and get ready for school. You have a big day ahead of you, Ochako."

Once Ochako passed through Kurogiri's Warp Gate, Sensei spoke to Tomura.

"The Quirks she mentioned are in line with the story she told you, right?"

"Yeah. I'd still say that she's lying, but she was right in saying that All Might became a teacher at U.A." He waved the newspaper in his hand. "Everyone's going crazy over this."

"Judging from her description, Midoriya is the next bearer of One for All, which means that All Might can only work as a hero for less and less time."

"I don't see what the fuss over his successor is. Kid can't get into action without breaking some bones."

"Don't underestimate one's fighting spirit. Emotions are the one aspect I cannot possibly account for, and the last time I underestimated one's willpower? Take my scar tissue as a warning. Also, you didn't tell me one of the five prospects you've captured for the Noumu project was Quirkless."

The news alarmed Tomura. "H-he is?!"

"Yes. I found out when I tried to take away his Quirk to test its capabilities. Regardless, I gave him both a mutation Quirk and a transmission Quirk during his sedation. He didn't turn into a Noumu. When he woke up, he took to his newfound Quirks well, too well. On the bright side, I can extract Quirks from dead bodies." Sensei hadn't mentioned that when he took away the mutation Quirk, the physical changes caused by the Quirk quickly reverted. Had he taken it from a person born with a Quirk, regardless of whether or not it was theirs to begin with, the unusual body parts would remain, no longer function, and then atrophy, causing great harm to the individual. _Come to think of it, I never thought of giving a Quirkless person multiple Quirks before, nor have I taken away a mutation Quirk from them._

"I could've sworn that he had a Quirk."

Kurogiri said otherwise. "I kept telling you that he was one of those street performers, using sleight-of-hand instead of a Quirk."

"Shut up, Kurogiri! I know what I saw, and what I saw had to be the work of a Quirk!"

"Silence," spoke Sensei. "Now, shouldn't you be getting the schedule so you could plan your invasion of U.A.?"

Sensei didn't have to wait long for an answer, for that day, newscasters crowded in front of U.A.'s front gate in hopes of interviewing the students for their opinions about All Might, much to the students' annoyance.

As Tomura planned, he created an opening for the newscasts by disintegrating the front gate, and while chaos ensued as reporters flooded the campus, he snatched a schedule left carelessly alone on the grass and stuffed it into his pocket. According to the paper, it belonged to a man named Toshinori Yagi. _The fool must've been in a rush and dropped this. All Might has Uraraka's class for a rescue lesson soon, huh._ Tomura began to grin wider and wider until he couldn't stretch it anymore.

 _ **Perfect time to kill All Might**_ **and** _ **test where Uraraka's loyalty lies.**_

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows! I apologize for not posting this on Saturday, but I was caught up in a big graduation party for the entire day. I still plan to revise and upload the next chapter by Tuesday, though. Silenthawk170, I don't see romance being a big part of the story unless I find a way to neither have it derail attention from the plot nor make it feel forced. I'm sorry for those looking for that, but who knows? I'm not shutting out the possibility of having _some_ romance between characters. Maybe I'll surprise myself again as I keep writing the story.**


	5. Who's Being Helped Here!

**Chapter 5: Who's Being Helped Here?!**

On the bus ride to the Unforeseen Situation Joint, or USJ for short, Ochako felt her phone vibrate. Turning it on, she found a cryptic text from Tomura that read, _Don't get excited._

She considered asking why, but she didn't want anyone to see the text, so she turned her phone off. Once they arrived, All Might wasn't there as he was supposed to, but a pro hero dressed up as an astronaut greeted them. Ochako thought, _No way, it's really him, No. 13! He looks as cool as on TV! It's amazing how he uses his Black Hole Quirk, especially with his level of control! Wonder what he could teach us today…_

Before they could start rescue practice, Shouta pointed out the presence of an ominously familiar black mist forming several meters towards the center of the dome. A man in a black jumpsuit, Tomura, with disembodied hands grasping onto his upper body and head was the first to emerge, and several dozen villains quickly followed. Among them were the Anti-Symbol of Peace, Noumu, and the man behind the sudden appearance of villains, Kurogiri. _So this is what you meant in your text,_ Ochako thought. Having seen Tomura's fondness with a disembodied hand he called 'Father,' she was certain that the rest of the hands were more than simple props. _Probably victims of his Quirk._

Shouta wasted no time in leaping into the fray, knocking out villains left and right while slowly working his way towards the apparent leader, while No. 13 stayed behind to protect the class. Kurogiri used Shouta's separation from the group as an opportunity to discreetly warp directly towards the group. He thought, _Shigaraki wants evidence that Uraraka's loyal to us? Let me test her myself!_ Externally, he told them, "Our primary objective is to kill All Might, but seeing as he is absent, you will have to do."

Two students, a blond boy wearing mostly black with an orange 'x' across his sleeveless shirt and grenade-shaped bracers on his arms and a red-haired boy who wore a black mask that only highlighted the edge of his face, red cogs on his shoulders, and black pants with a waist cape with a red "R" on the front, and dark red boots, charged at Kurogiri, the former unleashing an explosion from his palm that nearly hit Kurogiri's physical body. He muttered, "That was close." _These two must be Katsuki Bakugou and Eijiro Kirishima._

He teleported as many of the students as he could to the various zones. He _was_ capable of using Ochako's descriptions as a vague understanding of who they were and their individual Quirks and thus sending them to places they would be weak in, but he restrained himself from doing so. _I believe what she says is true, but I shouldn't give them the idea that we have inside information. For example, she told me that the green-haired girl, Tsuyu Asui, has frog powers, which I shouldn't have known otherwise. If I sent her to the fire dome, then the heroes would suspect a double agent in Class 1-A, which we can't have._ With luck, his work seemed random enough for detectives to not consider that line of thought, and when he closed his warp gates, he saw that No. 13, Ochako, and five other students remained. Despite his being a few meters away, they shouted their plans for Tenya's escape, with Ochako taking charge of their strategy. _They must either be confoundedly cocky or confoundedly stupid to think that I can't hear them._

Meanwhile, Tomura intensely watched Shouta fight from a distance, trying to pick out any sort of telegraphed action that he could take advantage of. _His hair only rises up while he's moving. It falls when he's catching his breath. The time when it's down is steadily increasing, so he MUST be tired. Time to strike!_ He rushed towards Shouta, hoping to disintegrate him. Shouta elbowed him in the stomach, but he was too slow in pulling back. Tomura caught his other elbow and clamped it with an iron grip. Cloth, skin, and muscle crumbled away. Shouta felt as if his arm was an ignited pile of dry hay, beginning from a small ember only to rapidly grow into a ravenous fire. He successfully pulled away, only to back into Noumu. Shouta tried to use his Erasure Quirk to negate the creature's powers, but it quickly pummeled him into submission solely through its innate brute strength.

The students were too scared to approach Kurogiri, letting him face No. 13 alone. The hero came close to revealing his physical body, his weak point, with the use of his Black Hole Quirk, but one of his warp gates turned No. 13's attack against him. The hero's costume and pieces of his back were torn away, and he fell unconscious due to the pain. After a moment of hesitation, Tenya bolted towards the exit. Kurogiri attempted to stop him, but a six-webbed-armed student known as Mezou Shouji dispelled the mist before it could accumulate into a warp gate. Kurogiri lunged at Tenya, but he didn't notice someone grab his metal neck guards. However, he recognized the voice.

"If you're wearing this, then you must have a real body!" Ochako already knew this fact, having met him in person, but she acted like she didn't know. She flung him to the ceiling and shouted, "Now, Iida! Get All Might here as fast as you can!" while keeping an eye on Kurogiri, who was then grabbed by the tape of Hanta Sero and hurled farther away.

Tenya responded, "Got it!" before forcing the doors of USJ open and escaping. Ochako, still maintaining eye contact with Kurogiri, gave a visible nod.

At that moment, Kurogiri understood Ochako's actions. _She believes in our ability to kill All Might?!_ Before he warped to Tomura, he examined some of the students he warped. _Ochako's descriptions of her classmates were correct. Well, perhaps this will compel Shigaraki to start trusting her._ He warped back to Tomura. "Tomura Shiragaki," he stated.

The young man responded, "Kurogiri, how's No. 13? Is he dead?"

"No, he's only incapacitated. I was able to warp away all but six students, and one escaped due to a girl who made me float away."

Upon hearing what seemed to be an act of treason, Tomura grit his teeth and furiously scratched at his throat, and he muttered, " _Really…_ The first chance I get, she's dust. I'd do the same to you, but you're our 'escape button' so to say. We're leaving. Game over." He started to walk away towards the central plaza., looking around while doing so.

"The girl wanted to get All Might here as soon as possible, and he should already be on his way."

Tomura stopped in his tracks. "Really? Well, that changes things." He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, and turning his head to the right, he saw two boys and one girl, one boy having purple hair with balls on the top and the other two having green hair. _That green-haired boy, is that the kid Uraraka's been going on about?_ He's _supposed to be All Might's successor?_ A wicked smile developed underneath 'Father' as Tomura announced, "Well, let's greet him with the sight of several dead students."

Without any other warning, Tomura pounced at the three students, aiming for the one on his left. _I'll take you out before your 'boss fight.' That's to say, before you become a nuisance to me,_ Deku _!_

No matter how hard he tried, Izuku's body wouldn't listen to him. He was denied even the reflex of closing his eyes as the hand that would spell certain death for him closed in. _C'mon, body. Work! When Kacchan was trapped by the slime villain, I sprung into action without thinking, but now, I can't do anything to save myself. All Might, I failed you…_

By the time he felt all five of Tomura's fingers grasp his head, Izuku already accepted death. Much to everyone's surprise, there was no sign of damage on Izuku's head.

Tomura, without letting go or looking back, muttered, "Y'know Eraserhead, you're pretty cool." Despite being several times stronger, Noumu had relented enough for Shouta to raise his head and use his Erasure Quirk on Tomura. Sensing its master's displeasure, it planted Shouta's face into the ground, stopping his Quirk.

Finding the will to take action, Izuku balled his right hand into a fist. _I have to act now! If I don't, Mr. Aizawa would've saved me for nothing!_ As he swung at the villain, Izuku screamed, "Get away from me!"

Tomura pulled away, leaping back. As Izuku screamed, Tomura faintly whispered, "Noumu."

Although his opponent dodged, Izuku's fist made contact… with the stomach of Noumu. It seemed to completely shrug off his punch, and Noumu trapped his arm in its giant grasp. The courage Izuku mustered dissipated as easily as loose dust, which he would have undoubtedly become without any intervention. Tomura taunted him, saying "Such force. If you had the chance to grow, maybe you could follow in All Might's footsteps and become the next Symbol of Peace when he steps down." He slowly extended his hand towards Izuku's head, enjoying the sight of Izuku's shrinking pupils and trembling head. "Such a shame that you're being offed so soon."

The doors behind Ochako burst open, causing Tomura to stop what he was doing and look. The dust concealed all but a silhouette of the man responsible, giving away his muscular physique, his immense size, and his signature V-shaped locks of hair. _That must be him,_ Ochako thought. To the joy of the other students, All Might entered the building. A furious expression was plastered on his face in place of his signature smile that symbolized safety. Instead of sensing a calming presence, Ochako felt dreadful doubt, intimidated even. _C-can Noumu really beat him?_

All Might spoke, "Aizawa, No. 13, you did well in protecting the students to the pest of your ability. Allow me to step in. Villains! Have fear…" In rage, he tore his tie off his neck. "For _I_ am here!"

As All Might rushed towards the center, he knocked out the minor villains in his path with ease. He rescued the students and Shouta before the villains could recover, knocking 'Father' off of Tomura, who stumbled off reaching for the hand. As he held it, he thought, _All Might's fast, faster than I could react, but he's still not nearly as fast as I thought. He truely_ is _getting weaker. Perfect! He'll be no match against Noumu._

All Might then attempted to defeat Tomura with a cross chop, otherwise known as his signature Carolina Smash. However, Noumu came in and absorbed the blow before beginning to fight him. The No. 1 superhero and the bioengineered monstrosity were evenly matched, intercepting each other's fists with their own, until All Might suplexed Noumu into the ground. However, Kurogiri created a warp gate on the ground between where Noumu landed and directly underneath All Might, giving it the opportunity to attack All Might's old wound and quickly reversing the tides of the battle.

As pain consumed All Might's senses, he nearly passed out, which would've left him in the fatal hands of his enemies. Luck was on the side of peace and justice, however, as Shouto Todoroki froze the right side of Noumu's body, causing it to crumble off, Katsuki Bakugou pinned down Kurogiri under his explosive gauntlets, and Eijiro Kirishima nearly succeeded in attacking Tomura, who took a step back.

Noumu let its right side crumble off from the sheer cold and quickly regenerated, and it knocked back All Might with another punch when it aimed at Katsuki so Kurogiri would be released. Tomura attempted to attack the students while All Might was still reeling from the blow, but the hero leapt back into the fray, colliding with Noumu once more, and the two initiated their last brawl.

Despite being several meters from the fight, Ochako could still feel the wind pressure from the collision of Noumu's and All Might's fists. As the two engaged in rapid-fire fisticuffs, the hero slowly pushed Noumu back, and in a matter of seconds, it was flung back. All Might continued his assault, sending Noumu skyward only to slam it into the ground. Giving all his might and more, he roared, " **PLUS ULLLTRAAAAAAAA**!" and smote Noumu, the creature made to counter and kill him, and sent it through the half-meter-thick fiberglass dome of USJ and into the stratosphere.

As the students around Ochako cheered, she silently stood still, mortified by the outcome. She thought, _Sensei fought him in his prime?! I-I can't even imagine going up against someone like him!_

Ashido Mina noticed her silence and asked her, "Shocked by All Might's power, huh? Well, who could blame you? After all, that fight was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!"

Ochako replied, slightly surprised, "Y-yeah. I didn't expect him to have so much strength." _You're wrong, Mina. I'm not just shocked, I'm outright terrified. No wonder his presence lowered the crime rate in Japan. Is All Might weakened at all?_

Tomura seethed with anger. "That. Was. My. Noumu!" _He's hasn't lost any power at all! Did Sensei lie to me?_ He and Kurogiri rushed towards All Might, only for Izuku to lunge at them, winding up a punch. "Kurogiri," he whispered. He stuck his right hand into a warp gate, leaving it at the prime position to grasp Izuku's face. _He may have defeated Noumu, but he's definitely exhausted. Now, all he can do is watch as his successor dies trying to save him! I can't wait to see that gaudy grin wiped off his face!_ Instead of Izuku's head, Tomura's hand caught a bullet in its side, sinking into the muscle. More bullets were shot into his legs, causing him to collapse. At the entrance to USJ stood Tenya and a line of teachers, with Snipe, who wore a cowboy getup and a gas mask, holding the smoking gun. "Crap. The pro heroes are here. Kurogiri, we have to leave. All Might, I _will_ kill you one day!"

Kurogiri responded, "Agreed. I'll take us back to the ba-!"

He was interrupted by the immense pull of No. 13's Black Holes. However, the hero was too far to stop him completely. Right before they escaped into the warp gate, Tomura glared at Izuku and whispered, "That goes double for _you_ , kid." Thus, the two villains managed to escape with their lives, leaving all their thugs and mooks to be captured by the heroes.

The TV monitor in the bar was on, and on the other side of the screen, Sensei was waiting patiently for Tomura and Kurogiri. Once they returned, Tomura spoke. "Sensei… we failed to kill All Might. We lost Noumu. If only I had gotten my hands on him!"

Sensei replied, "Don't be so hard on yourself. It's your first time doing one of these mass-scale operations. You're bound to make mistakes. However, if you want to improve, learn from your mistakes so they don't become a problem again."

Kurogiri then explained his side of the battle. "I took the liberty of examining the students I warped before I teleported back to Shigaraki, and to my surprise, they fit Ochako's description almost perfectly."

Tomura asked, "Wait, so she was telling the truth all along?"

"Yes. In fact, she had the idea of getting All Might there immediately, giving us time to fight him before the rest of the pro heroes could arrive. Despite our attack on her classmates, she truly believed that we could've killed All Might." He got a text. "Hold on. Let me read this." The message was sent from Ochako, and Kurogiri read, "It's only been a month since school started, and you're already trying to kill my classmates? At least give me a better warning next time. I'll be there in a while. The police will want to question me."

"It appears that Ochako is loyal after all," Sensei declared.

Tomura replied, "Well, we'll have to wait until she gets here. If she tries anything fishy, she's dead."

…

A few hours later, Ochako was warped into the bar. She saw Tomura, who was wearing 'Father' on his face, bandaged up in the places where he was shot. "Snipe got you good, huh."

"Shut up."

On the TV screen, Sensei appeared. He said, "Ochako, I've heard about your part in the USJ attack, and I'm glad to see that you are still on our side. You even managed to communicate your intentions to Kurogiri without letting your classmates know."

Blushing from the praise, Ochako replied, "W-well, I suppose I see you all as family. you're like another dad to me, Kurogiri's a caring uncle, and Tomura's…" intentionally dragging the third name as she bore a wide grin.

"Don't you dare finish that statement, Uraraka."

"Like a little brother with how he acts."

Tomura growled, "Go to hell," prompting Ochako to burst out into laughter.

Kurogiri interrupted them, laid out two plates of curry rice, and said, "Speaking of family, Ochako, Shigaraki, dinner's ready." Kurogiri would eat his food later, as he did not like others staring at his face. In fact, he was very secretive about himself, having not told Tomura his actual name. Sensei was the only one who knew, as Kurogiri had his death faked so he could disappear from society.

Ochako responded, "No thanks, Kurogiri. I already ate back ho-" when her stomach growled, betraying her.

Kurogiri sighed. "Ochako, I know you're not going to like this, but I've visited your apartment a few times while you were at school. I've seen your fridge. You had nothing in there for the past three days! You've been saving money, but you're not feeding yourself? At least eat what I have here for you, please."

"But-"

Sensei interrupted her. "Kurogiri's right. You can't grow stronger if your body lacks the nutrients it needs. You need to eat, especially when the U.A. sport tournament's so soon."

"It is?!"

"Yes," replied Kurogiri. "That's why I'm asking you to come eat here every night so you have energy."

Ochako pondered for a moment. _Sure, I told myself that I wouldn't be a burden to anyone, but they're like family to me. How can I deny their help? If I want to stand out at the festival, I need to develop both my Quirk and my physical body!_ "Sure, we can do that," she said as she sat down and started eating.

"While you're eating, I would like to discuss All Might," Sensei declared. "The truth is, Ochako, that All Might's Quirk is named One for All, and he is the eighth person to receive this Quirk."

"S-so All Might didn't have it to begin with?!"

"No. One for All is a combination of a power-stockpiling Quirk and a Quirk that could only be passed on to others. It was created when I gave my brother the former in the hopes that he would become one of my most valuable pawns. I thought he was Quirkless, so I never expected his innate Quirk, the latter, to merge with the one he received. From that day on, he and his successors, each one stronger than the one before thanks to One for All, pledged themselves to defeating me once and for all. Five years ago, I tried to take that Quirk away from its then most recent owner, All Might. He was unconscious and had a hole ripped through his body, and I attempted to use my Quirk, All for One, to take it back. For several seconds, I held his face, but I failed to retrieve it. It was then that I learned that One for All cannot be taken away, only given away. In that moment of realization, he woke up, and my face was never the same since."

Tomura spoke up, having food in his mouth. "Yeah, but he doesn't seem any weaker."

"He doesn't seem weaker, but he has worked less and less as the months go on. In addition, if he were still at his prime, Noumu would've been decimated the moment it exchanged fists with him. Therefore, I know that he is weakened. In fact, I believe that he had already found himself a successor to One for All."

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together, Ochako exclaimed, "You don't mean-"

"Yes. I believe that Izuku Midoriya is his successor, and soon he and Tomura will battle in our places."

Tomura pounded the bar counter in anger, "I would've killed him thrice over if I hadn't been stopped by those damn heroes!"

"Enough, Tomura. Now, let us all get some sleep. Today was an exhausting day for you three."

After the TV monitor shut off, Sensei walked pass giant tubes containing four artificial humans, second best compared to the Anti-Symbol of Peace. In front of him were three seats, one for him to sit in and the other two facing towards the first. Two boys who couldn't be much older than Ochako sat in the chairs, restrained by the same Quirk-inhibiting equipment the police use to arrest Quirk users. One had the ability to extend his fingers to ludicrous lengths, while the other had crimson bat wings. Both were trembling as Sensei sat down in front of them, despite him telling them that he would not kill them and that they would be given immense power in exchange for their unwavering obedience to his orders. Sensei thought, _Of course, I'll to turn them into Noumus after this, but I'm not techically lying._ After clearing his throat, Sensei gave them one order.

" **Now, tell me what you know about Katsuki Bakugou."**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows! I don't have much to say about this story right now, but I'm thinking of uploading the** _ **Fire Emblem Heroes**_ **story that I have up on AO3 here, as well as another story from the same game that will be simultaneously uploaded to both sites. Sound good?**


	6. Do Your Best, Ochako!

**Chapter 6: Do Your Best, Uraraka!**

Ochako spent the weeks leading up to the U.A. Sports Festival the same as any other student who cared to win: nonstop training. Unlike most students, she had Sensei, who educated her with his expansive understanding of Quirks, Kurogiri, who made sure that she ate well, and Tomura, whose taunts encouraged her to push her limits. At school, she and Izuku worked on their journals together, often giving each other their ideas and analyzations.

"The final round's always a one-to-one tournament, so we have to think of how our classmates could use their Quirks in battle. Honestly, I'm just worried about having to fight Kacchan or Todoroki," Izuku stated.

Ochako replied, "Same here. I mean, their Quirks are almost _too_ versatile. If I had to face off against you, I'd probably bait a punch and then grab and throw you away while applying Zero Gravity. Then, you'd punch or kick to get back to the ground, breaking at least two limbs overall." She smirked at him, knowing his inability to leave a battle unscathed.

Izuku put on a nervous smile, disappointed in how quickly Ochako thought of a means of incapacitating him. "Did you really think I'd be so willing to break my bones? A flick of my fingers would be enough to keep you at bay."

She started tapping her fingers on the table, mulling over her thoughts, "Well, there's something I haven't told you about my Quirk yet. It's less so the ability to make an object weightless and more so naturally pushing it upward with my mind after I touch it. Recently, I've learned to manipulate the direction of the push. However, I have to do that for every individual object I want to move." To demonstrate, she started floating the pen she was holding, and as it floated, she moved it towards Izuku, back to her, and had it hit the table faster than it would have if left to fall normally before canceling her Quirk.

For a second, Izuku stared at her with a slightly open mouth, shocked. Then he flipped over to her entry and started furiously writing."Really?! You have so many more possibilities to take if your Quirk is really telekinesis! I mean, once you touch you opponent, they're at your mercy if they have no means of propulsion in the air! Not to mention all the objects you could use as weapons! Imagine sending a wave of debris at a villain!"

Ochako put her index finger to her lip and hushed him."That idea sounds amazing, Deku, but keep it a secret, alright? I want to be able to surprise everyone at the festival."

"Sure thing, Uraraka."

"Anyway, back to Todoroki and Bakugou. Have you noticed that his ice almost always starts on the ground? I bet if you punch the ground, the shockwave would break the ice and stop it cold!"

Izuku visualized the scenario in his mind, and then he responded, "Not bad. I'll write that down. Something I've learned about Kacchan over the years is that he gets physically narrow-sighted while he's battling, but his fighting sense and reflexes are unbelievable. Unless you distract him the entire time, he'll probably catch on to any scheme you try to pull on him, even as you're doing it!" A bell rang, signifying that lunch was over.

"Oh, we'd better get going. Tomorrow, we should sit next to Iida next time. Can't keep him lonely forever!"

...

That afternoon, Ochako went over her journal in the bar, seated in front of the counter. Kurogiri walked in with a plate of three onigiri, or rice balls shaped into triangles with seaweed on the bottom to grasp, a quick snack before training began. He noticed the notebook she held. "Hm? What's that?"

Ochako looked up, and she laid the book on the counter for him to see. "It's a journal with information and strategies based around my classmates' Quirks. Deku helped me make this." She grabbed an onigiri while Kurogiri began to read the entries.

As Kurogiri read, his glowing golden eyes widened. "Incredible! I can't even begin to imagine some of these plans and counters! Midoriya must have a natural gift as a strategist. It's a shame that he's All Might's successor. We could use someone like him to coordinate our plans."

"Hey! I worked on this too! Don't count me out of it! " Ochako exclaimed before she finished the last of her onigiri.

Tomura walked into the room. "Uraraka. You're up for training." He noticed the empty plate. "Kurogiri, you fed her?! I don't wanna clean up after her when she pukes!"

"Hey, Tomura. I'll prove you wrong. Just you wait!" Ochako noticed that while Tomura wouldn't call her by her first name, he grew more lax when she used his first name. _Perhaps he's finally warming up to me._

Ochako trained her body and her Quirk in an abandoned junkyard. Kurogiri used to send her to Dagobah Municipal Beach Park to train because of all the garbage accumulated there. However, ten months before the U.A. entrance exam, the mountains of trash slowly and mysteriously shrank until the entire beach was cleaned, forcing her to find another place to practice. She would train by lifting and moving junk several pieces at a time. More intensive training involved her sending large pieces of trash in several different directions at one. Ochako's limit was pushed to nearly 50,000 newtons of force, giving her an equivalent weight limit of 5 metric tons, but no matter how far she pushed herself, she couldn't float anything much heavier. The day before the festival, she asked, "Sensei, is there something wrong with me? For the past week, I can't seem to get past floating 5 tons."

From the other side of the TV screen, he sighed and told her, "I was afraid this day would come, Ochako."

"What?"

"There's a reason why I take Quirks from people—mainly pro heroes, villains, or other people who use their Quirk for their occupation—that had the opportunity to hone them. It's because when I give someone a Quirk, that person can only develop it to the point the original owner had developed it before it was taken away from them. When I took Zero Gravity from the original user, his limit was 5 tons as well."

Ochako was shocked, but she was far more fearful. "D-does this mean that I'm stuck at 5 tons?"

Sensei shook his head. "Not necessarily. However, it'll take more work to develop the Quirk than it would if you were born with it, which is why I prefer to take several of the same kind of Quirk. Anyway, you're a strong and smart girl, Ochako. I trust that you'll know how to utilize those 5 tons, and I have faith in you."

...

The festival began with the opening word from Class 1-A's Katsuki Bakugou, who reassured everyone that he would win. Of course, such a declaration, no matter how true it may seem, infuriated the people who put mind, body, and soul towards their own victory.

The first event was an obstacle course, where students would run one lap until they arrived back at the stadium. Along the way, they had to deal with each other, robots from the entrance exam, a giant pit, and a field of landmines. Ochako's Quirk let her dodge Shouto's opening sneak attack of ice that froze people behind him to the ground, and she used the robots as roadblocks after running past them. However, her training wouldn't be enough for her to float herself across the expansive and seemingly bottomless chasm without getting sick midway through, so she slowly walked on the tightropes, costing her valuable time as a result. By the time she got to the minefield, Izuku was already busy digging with a large flat piece of metal from a fallen robot. She ran past him, not bothering to ask, but when a massive explosion erupted from behind, she saw Izuku sail across the sky, and she realized that he used the mines as a means of propulsion. Not wanting to fall behind, she leapt onto the outer edge of a mine and activated her Quirk. The mine itself didn't offer nearly as much force that she wanted, as it was designed to look flashy yet do little damage, but her Quirk's push allowed her to land two meters from the end of the field. Despite her physical training to build up her stamina and Kurogiri's dishes made to give her energy, she was still behind many people due to the time she took at the canyon, and she came in 16th place as a result.

The second event was a human cavalry battle, where teams of two to four people assembled to make a "horse" would compete to obtain the most points by the end. To do so, they had to snatch the headbands of the leaders, which had the total number of points of their team listed. Izuku came in first, and he was given a point total of 10 million, whereas Shouta, who came in second, had 205 points, and every person below was given 5 points less than the person before them. Was it fair? Not in the slightest. In fact, it was designed to simulate how hard being number one at anything could be if there were others wishing to do the same.

Despite the overwhelming temptation everyone else felt in stealing the 10 million, Izuku was still able to make a team thanks to Ochako, as the two knew each other's Quirks well, Mei Hatsume, who impressed them with her inventions, and Fumikage, who lacked a team and offered defense with Black Shadow. Their goal was to protect their headband at all costs. However, after a lengthy amount of dodging, Shouto's team managed to steal the 10 million points for themselves thanks to Tenya overclocking his leg engines with a "Recipro Burst", but Fumikage stole their 615-point headband from them before time was up, letting them advance to the final event, the fighting tournament.

Much to her dismay, Ochako and the other girls were tricked into wearing cheerleader outfits, but she cheered regardless. Much to her horror, she found out that her first match was against Katsuki, who had all the might and mobility of a missile. During the matches, Izuku furiously scribbled notes into his notebook, while Ochako simply wished to watch the matches and write down observations at home, as the whole event was being streamed on both TV and the Internet.

While in the middle of Tenya's fight against Mei, although the fight ended up being more of a publicity stunt for the latter to show off her 'babies,' a nickname for her inventions, Ochako left to contemplate her upcoming fight. She headed into one of the preparation rooms, where she sat down and considered a strategy for facing Katsuki. After a few minutes, her train of thought was halted by the incessant ring of her phone. She checked it, and Tomura's alternate name, Tenko, was on the screen, so she answered immediately.

Tomura picked up and asked, "There you are, Uraraka. How are you?"

"Well, I was in the middle of watching the fight, but I wanted to take a break and clear my thoughts. What do you want?"

"First, I'm telling you to never wear that garbage you call a cheerleader outfit again. Second, I just thought about telling you something Sensei learned about Bakugou from some of his childhood friends, seeing as you're matched up against him."

" I'm listening," she said, but a moment later, she continued. "Just so you know, we were tricked into wearing those outfits."

"You didn't seem to care when you started cheering. Anyway, you know how Bakugou used to bully Midoriya for years because he was Quirkless? Well, I heard from some of his old buddies that he'd destroy Midoriya's stuff, beat him up when the brat rubbed him the wrong way, and get this, he even told Midoriya to go kill himself so he could get a Quirk in the next life! If you ask me, that guy's real villain material!"

Ochako's eyes widened as memories of when she didn't have a Quirk surfaced back to her consciousness, and she remembered how harsh the other children were.

"Look out! It's that Quirkless kid, Uraraka. Don't let her touch you, or you'd catch her Quirklessness." Kids would scramble out of her way, making sure to keep out of arm's reach. It was easy for children to get the idea that Quirkless people were dangerous, just as easy as children thinking that people of the opposite sex had cooties, yet Quirklessness took priority. Regardless of intention, Ochako felt ashamed of being different.

Because they thought she was dangerous, some saw fit to play pranks on her. Sometimes, her stuff was hidden or thrown away, and other times, usually by more vicious people, she'd come back to seeing notes left for her, often saying "You don't belong here," or "You're a waste of space." When she turned to the teachers for help, they did nothing to stop the bullying. After all, the consensus on the matter was to ignore it, hoping that the bullying would eventually die out if they didn't bring attention to it. Her obtaining the Zero Gravity Quirk was the only reason it stopped for her. Her bullies simply moved onto her Quirkless friends, and they would still tease her about her Quirkless parents.

Ochako, startled by the extent of Katsuki's persecution of Izuku, thought, _If I had never met Tomura on that fateful day, who knows how I would turn out after so many years of harassment? Would I have followed what Bakugou said? Would I have ended up like her?!_ She furrowed her brow and slammed her left hand on the table. Had she not pressed down fiercely, the table would have floated to the ceiling. _I can't believe him! He thinks that he'll be the number one hero after something like that?! He thinks he'll beat us so easily?! Grrr, that's_ it _. I'll-_

Tomura spoke up, "Hello? Earth to Uraraka? You still alive?"

Realizing the unintentional use of her Quirk, she placed her phone on her lap and quickly negated Zero Gravity, letting the table land in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she slowly brought her phone back up to her ear, and she declared, malice laced in her words, "I'll _crush_ him. Ya can bet on that, Tomura." In her anger, she let her accent, mocked and hidden long before she found out that she was Quirkless, slip. However, Tomura was too caught up in her words to notice.

Elated by her answer, he replied, "That's the spirit, Uraraka! Don't let Sensei or me down."

The call ended just in time for Tenya and Izuku to enter the room. They were about to call out to her, but they noticed that she was fuming. Ochako was the first to break the silence.

"Deku, how far has Bakugou gone?"

Izuku stared at her, confused. "Eh? Uraraka, what are you talking abou-"

She stood up, looking Izuku in the eye. "A friend just called me, and he told that Bakugou told you to kill yourself a year ago!"

"What?! He knew?" Izuku stepped back, shocked that she found out.

Tenya tried to calm Ochako down, giving wild hand gestures as he spoke. "Uraraka! Bakugou's behavior certainly has much room for improvement, but there's no need to get so angry right before your match! Even if we report this to the teachers, it's been a year since, as you said. There's not much they could do to punish him for something he said before he was under their jurisdiction, save sending him to anger management classes or therapy. In fact, should we send a report to them based on a claim that your, and I apologize for insinuating that he is untrustworthy, friend made, we'll seem suspicious at best, even if we have Midoriya to testify for us. If anything, we'll be accused of trying to ruin Bakugou's reputation!"

"A-anyway, Uraraka," Izuku muttered, not wanting to get on her bad side, "Kacchan curbed his vicious nature towards me ever since I helped save him from the slime villain, which happened that very same day. In fact, he started to treat me like any other person, which is a step up, I suppose. Oh, right! I came to help you make some final strategies." He lifted his right hand to show the charred notebook he held. He nervously thought, _I hope she doesn't realize that Kacchan burnt this book._

Ochako's face softened, turning into a grin, and she spoke to them. "Thanks for keeping me in check, Iida. And thank you for wanting to help me, Deku. I know I can count on you two."

The boy blushed from the compliment. "W-well, I can say the same for you, Uraraka."

Iida smirked and replied, "As can I."

"However, I plan to do this myself." Izuku gasped at her declaration. "Deku, if I get past Bakugou, promise me that you'll beat Todoroki in the second round. After all, we've spent countless hours training and thinking of ways to beat them. If we keep fighting and giving it everything we got, maybe we'll face each other in the finals." She extended her open hand, and she asked, "Go beyond?"

Izuku smirked with a gleam of determination in his eyes, shook her hand and finished the famous motto, "Plus Ultra!"

Tenya reminded them of Ochako's upcoming match. "While watching you two motivate each other to win is inspiring, remember that I am one of your opponents, and I refuse to lose so easily. Anyway, we spent far too much time in here. Uraraka, your match is going to start any second now!"

Ochako gasped, having forgotten about the passage of time. "That's right! I gotta go. See you later!" she shouted as she raced down the hallway.

"I know you're in a hurry, but please don't run in the halls!" Tenya barked from the doorway.

"Calm down, Iida. She's just pumped. That's all." _Still,_ Izuku thought, _who was her friend that knew about our time in middle school?_

A few minutes later, Ochako found herself standing face-to-face with Katsuki. He observed her for any signs of fear or hesitation, and he glared when he found none. He spoke up. "You're the floating fuck, right, round-face? Y'know, if you don't want to get your ass kicked, feel free to leave now. I won't give you a chance later."

She growled, "The name's Uraraka. Remember it, 'cause you're the one who'll be defeated!"

Katsuki cupped a hand to his ear and leaned towards her. "What was that? Sounded like a bitch ready to get explodokilled. Let's go!"

When the match began, Ochako immediately rushed towards Katsuki with her hands outstretched to the side, her stride resembling that of a certain hand-obsessed villain she knew. He countered with an explosion from his right hand, close enough for both of them to smell the nitroglycerin, and she was surrounded by the resulting cloud of dust and smoke. Unbeknownst to Katsuki and the audience, she took off her jacket and floated it in his direction while she also floated the debris from the explosion skyward. He took her jacket as bait, and she closed in on him to try and touch him so her Quirk could take effect. However, he was quick to react. He kept pushing her back with explosions, unknowingly adding pieces of the arena to her arsenal.

A pro hero interrupted, "How can you call this a fair match? That boy's just toying with her and getting her hopes up. I demand that the judges put an end to this at once!"

Present Mic weakly responded, "W-well, uh…"

Shouta intervened, "If all you see is a girl getting slowly beaten, then I'd advise looking for a change in career, because surely you don't understand the situation very well and are assuming a great portion, dangerous for a pro hero to do. Uraraka has a great understanding of her limits due to having a weight limit on her Quirk. She knows how much she can take and she planned accordingly. Bakugou is driven to win. So much so that he would not let his guard down for even a second if it would make him lose." Ochako mentally thanked him for defending her. However, this wasted time pushed Ochako towards her force limit.

She then deemed the moment right to assault Katsuki with a concrete hail, but there was one problem. _So far, he seems to be favoring his right hand, which means that he's built up explosive sweat in his left. If I want this plan to work, I've got to bait him into releasing that power early!_ She got into the starting position of a sprinter, her knees and feet bent as though she were on starting blocks, her back almost parallel to the ground, and both hands on the ground. Ochako spoke, "Bakugou, thank you for never dropping your guard." Katsuki scowled at her, ready to intercept another mad dash towards him with another explosion, but before she could take off, a large chunk of the arena under him suddenly tore from the rest and rocketed skyward, bringing him with it!

Katsuki fell to his knees at the sudden force. Gritting his teeth, he roared, "So this is your shitty trump card, huh, Uraraka? Well, your half-assed attempt won't work on me!" With that last word, he completely demolished the escalation platform he knelt on with a colossal explosion from his left hand, leaving him spreading his arms and legs out to slow his descent. "How'd you like tha-"

Ochako got up from her crouching position, having never intended to run towards Katsuki, who fell prey to her ploy. Taking a sharp breath, she roared, "I. WIIIIIIIN!"

"Huh? The hell you talking abou- Ngh?!" He was interrupted as a piece of concrete dug into his back, just under his left shoulder. He turned his body around just in time to see stones rain down upon him, focused on his center of mass. He moved his arms to start fending them off with explosions, but when he turned around, more pieces of the arena were ripped out by Ochako's Quirk and collided with his back. Ochako sent all of her weapons towards Katsuki from all directions, leaving him unable to fight back effectively. He was rapidly struck in every places, with some sizable pieces striking his head. Some sharper pieces scratched or cut his body.

Katsuki landed in the crater that Ochako made when she ripped the ground from under his feet. When Midnight went over to examine him, she saw that he had passed out. His U.A. sportswear was torn, bruises covered the exposed skin, and he was minorly bleeding in some places. The lack of any serious damage likely resulted from his impressive athletic physique, which produced years of built-up muscle that had the strength and durability required to handle the recoil of his explosions, and with the assistance of Recovery Girl, he would have no lasting damage. She announced, "Katsuki Bakugou is unconscious and therefore unable to battle. Ochako Uraraka moves on to the next round!"

When Ochako heard this, she leapt with joy. "I-I did it! I beat-bea-bleeeeh..." The nausea caught up, striking her as suddenly as a tidal wave, and she vomited in front of the audience. Meanwhile, robots came to wheel Katsuki to Recovery Girl, and Ochako followed, wanting to have her singed skin replaced.

With great joy, Present Mic announced, "With a sudden meteor shower, Ochako Uraraka moves onto the next round!" He turned to Shouta Aizawa, who was sitting next to him with bandages on his face and casts on his arms. "I knew she'd win. Now pay up!"

"First of all, we never made a bet. Second, even if we did, my arms are in no condition to pay you. Still, she never demonstrated that technique in class. She must've kept it a secret just for this occasion."

Izuku stared with widened eyes, and he whispered, "Kacchan _lost_? I can't believe it! Throughout our lives, he always came out on top, but for someone to beat him in one-to-one combat?! Uraraka used her Quirk amazingly! She told me that she had to direct the force she placed on every object individually, but for her to aim all of them towards Kacchan, she must have trained this technique for months!" Meanwhile, as Izuku wrote in his journal and mumbled over the implications of Ochako's offensive ability, students from the financial branch of U.A. cried tears as if they bet their life savings on Katsuki, whom they assumed to come out on top. Others mocked them for not choosing Shouto, a safe investment due to his lineage with the second best hero, Endeavor, although the former would prefer that to not be true.

When Izuku visited Ochako in Recovery Girl's temporary nurse's office, she was practically beaming.

"Hey, Deku! Did you see me fight?"

"Yeah. Still hard to believe you actually beat Kacchan." He glanced at Katsuki's unconscious body, which was already rapidly recovering thanks to Recovery Girl. "Did you really have to use that many rocks?"

"Better safe than sorry. He had it coming to him, anyhow. No one can bully someone like that and expect to get away with it so easily. " She glared at the subject of their conversation.

"Is there any reason his bullying gets you that angry?"

Ochako grimaced, looking at her feet before and taking a deep breath before staring him in the eye. "Remember how I was bullied until I got my Quirk? Well, my bullies moved on to the my Quirkless friends, even during middle school. We helped each other tough it out, but one person," she felt pain simply remembering the event, let alone the girl's name, "lost the will to live because of them. One night three years ago, we got a message from her parents saying that she killed herself, and her suicide note read that she felt miserable because she didn't have a Quirk, and that she'd do anything to get one, even if it meant moving onto her next life." Ochako began to cry, thinking _Why didn't I help her more? Why didn't I stop them before it was too late?_ She froze, having realized a solution she never considered. _Why didn't I take her to Sensei?! Was I selfish in wanting to keep the person who gave me my Quirk a secret? Was I so scared of her reaction that I never considered it?_ Ochako fell to her knees, feeling absolutely useless. "I didn't save her!"

Izuku helped her up and reassuringly told her, "It's okay, Uraraka."

"No, it's not! She's dead!"

"W-well, you're here now. Look at me. Before we met, 'Deku' was always a taunt, always used to make fun of me. Now, it's a nickname a dear friend of mine uses, and I plan to use it as my hero name." He looked back to Katsuki, who was completely healed and snoring. "Besides, I'm sure she's happy that you managed to beat bully like the one you faced on your own."

Ochako wiped her tears away, and smiled. "Thanks, Deku. I really needed to hear that."

An unknown voice spoke from behind Katsuki. "Touching. It seems as though some of Class 1-A actually has a heart." Neito, who had walked past them during their conversation and hid behind the curtain next to Katsuki, showed his head.

Recovery Girl whacked him with her cane, "Who told you that you could just waltz in as you please?"

Izuku spoke up next. "Excuse me, but what are you doing here?"

"Me? Oh, I just want the rub the fact that he lost right to his face when he wakes up."

Recovery Girl announced, still slightly annoyed that Neito eavesdropped on a personal conversation, "He'll be asleep for several minutes. You sure you can wait until then?"

"Time may be money, but the look on his face will be priceless!" With that, Izuku and Ochako left, the former headed to the arena, and the latter headed to Class 1-A's seating area to watch.

Before he knew it, Izuku was about to fight Shouto. _This is it,_ Izuku thought, _if I can't get past him now, I may never beat him!_

When the battle began, Shouto sent wave after wave of ice towards Izuku, forcing the latter to take a defensive strategy and use the flick of his fingers, enhanced by One for All, to blow away the Shouto closed the gap, Izuku widened it with a left punch, crippling his hand in the process. Although Shouto and Izuku lunged forward and the latter hit the former with his right fist, crippling his other hand, Shouto still refused to use his left side. _How can I be expected to win against him if he's not giving it his all?!_ Despite the pragmatic and logical side of him shouting to keep quiet and attack, Izuku screamed at Shouta. "Your left side is part of _you_ , Todoroki! It's _your_ Quirk to use! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"

Izuku's opponent stopped his assault, caught in a revelation. _I-it's my Quirk?_ The left side of his body burst into flames, and he looked to Izuku, grinning ear to ear. _Yeah, that's right. What I do is for me. My old man's got no say in that!_ "Prepare yourself, Midoriya!"

Before he could unleash his final attack, Endeavor spoke up, "SHOOUUUTOOO! I'm glad that you finally given up your childish rebellion and learned to accept the power that I gave you. Now, defeat him and become the winner for me, my son." It was apparent that he didn't pay attention to Izuku's words at all. Izuku didn't care as he was busy realigning his fingers with his mouth.

On one disfigured hand, Izuku was proud that Shouto overcame his hate of his left side. On the other mutilated hand, he was about to lose because he encouraged his opponent to unleash his full potential. _I didn't think this out, but_ _I gotta find a way to end this._ _Wait! The ground!_

Midnight and Cementos tried to stop them, but they were too late. As Shouto unleashed a wave of ice and fire at Izuku, the latter balled his left hand into a fist, and aimed it downward, punching the arena in the process. Cementos's raised concrete pillars flew up and crumbled in response, halting the ice in its tracks, while dust choked out the fire and left Izuku hidden from Shouta. Using the dust as an opening, Izuku leapt with both his legs, shattering them. He thought, _I don't care what happens to my bones at this point. If I don't give it my all when my opponent does so…_ He rocketed out of the dust cloud, which Shouto anticipated and prepared to intercept with both fire and ice. _I'll never get close to reaching the top!_

"SMAAAAASH!" Izuku's right hand made contact with Shouto, and the force from Shouto's combination attack halted Izuku's momentum while sending Shouto hurtling back, breaking through the barrier of ice he made to stay in the arena. Shouta was still conscious, but he was now outside of the ring. _I-I did it! My right arm isn't broken this time!_ Using the one limb that wasn't broken, although it sustained burns, he gave a thumbs up to signify that he was still able to move.

Midnight declared, "Shouto Todoroki has left the arena. Izuku Midoriya wins!" The same students who mocked the people who believed that Katsuki would win were now the ones crying now that their chosen person lost.

As Shouto walked back into the hallway, Endeavor blocked his path, and the second best superhero glared at his son in disappointment. "I thought I bred a winner, a person who would become the number one superhero and best All Might in my stead. Now, I just see a complete waste of time, just like your mother and your siblings. Look at you. Not only did you need your _enemy_ to convince you to use the power _I_ gave you, but even with both ice and fire at your disposal, you still lost. Pathetic."

Shouto walked past him and replied, "I guess I learned how to lose from you." He started sprinting down the halls before his father could react.

"Wh- Shouto! Get back here this instant!" When the sound of footsteps became inaudible, Endeavor thought to himself, _Where did I go wrong with that boy?_

Izuku was hauled off to Recovery Girl's temporary nurse's office to heal. Katsuki woke up several minutes after, finding Izuku lying on the bed next to him, mostly healed but still being treated by Recovery Girl.

Katsuki squinted and asked, "Oi, Deku. The hell you doing here? Did Half n' Half beat the shit out of you?"

With a smile, Izuku replied, "No, actually. I defeated him by sending him out of the arena, but I broke my limbs again." He showed his right hand, which had scars from where Shouto's flames made contact.

Katsuki sat up immediately, alarmed by the news. "A piece of shit like you beat him?! Damn, I was looking forward to beating him in the finals, but you'll have to do. I haven't forgotten the mock battles, Deku!" His berserk smile intimidated Izuku.

To the surprise of only Katsuki, Neito Monoma, who never left the room, pulled the curtain behind Katsuki away. With a smug smile on his face, he stated, "About that. You lost first round, Bakugou, and to Uraraka of all people."

"Are you implying something about her?!" Izuku got defensive over his friend while Katsuki took a moment to comprehend Neito's statement.

"You gotta be shitting me! I _lost_?! To what's her round face?!"

"Uraraka!"

"I'm not lying. Midoriya here can attest to that. Now, remind me. What did you say at the beginning of the festival? That you'd win? Whatever happened to that promise?" Neito was now grinning as wide as he possibly could.

If looks killed, Neito would have been paste splattered everywhere. Scratch that, there would be nothing left of anybody after the blast. Still, Katsuki found a way of remaining calm by uttering, "I'd tell you to eat shit, but cannibalism is looked down upon. And you, Deku! You told her to get blown up again and again, haven't you?!"

The injured youth responded, "No. I asked her if I could help, but she wanted to beat you by herself for personal reasons. However, I might've given her the idea to send the debris at you."

Neito shrugged Katsuki's insult off, and continued on. "Anyway, if you want to see Uraraka, she just finished fighting Kirishima. That guy was able to defeat Tetsutetsu, but hardening his body was useless once he was sent flying."

Recovery Girl stopped using her Quirk on Izuku's arms and said, "This is as far as I'll go. Any longer, and you'll go into a coma, and who knows how long it'll take for you to wake up?"

Izuku cried out, "B-but my arms aren't fully healed yet!"

"And they won't be for a while. Point is, you have to learn to _control_ your Quirk, because you can forget coming to me if this keeps happening."

All Might entered the office, but before he made himself known, he thought back to what Shouta told him.

"Do I really have to get Midoriya? Can't some other student get him onstage?"

"Remind me, whose schedule was found copied and distributed among the villains we fought at USJ?"

"You didn't have to go there, Aizawa."

"Well, he's your disciple. Keep him under control until he learns to control his powers. Being in a wheelchair wouldn't stop him from breaking his bones."

Ending his memory, All Might inhaled before exclaiming, "Midoriya, my boy! Would you please meet me outside?" He reverted into his weakened form and continued speaking once they exited the office. "How are your arms?"

Izuku became distraught. "Well, Recovery Girl said that this is the limit my body can be healed before I would fall into a coma. I don't think I'll be able to compete in the next fight in time."

Torinoshi Yagi sighed. "I-I'm sorry to hear that. Midoriya, my boy, I've failed you as your teacher."

"Wh-no you haven't!"

Torinoshi slapped his forehead. "Just look at you! Your arms are in slings because you didn't stop fighting! You may have won the battle, but you're in no condition to keep competing." He sighed again, this time more deeply. "We've got to find a way of preventing you from breaking your body every time you attack. If you could just fine tune your power output to your body's very limit, then you could fight for a far longer period of time." He continued with a more disappointed tone, although that disappointment was directed towards himself. "Go. I'm sure you still want to watch your friends battle their hearts out. I'll tell them that you can't fight anymore."

Izuku made it to his seat just in time for the match between Fumikage and Ochako to begin. Several seats away, Eijiro was trying to cheer up Katsuki.

"C'mon, Bakugou! You still got that flashy and powerful Quirk of yours. Why don't we spar after the tournament? I bet I could take your explosions like they're nothing!" Eijiro flashed a toothy grin to display his confidence.

Katsuki looked towards him and shrugged with a small smile on his face. "Is that a challenge? Fine. I'll take you down!"

On the battlefield, Ochako ran towards Fumikage, who unleashed Black Shadow to intercept her. The dark bird swiped at her, but she dodged. As it swung at her for the third time, she touched it. Black Shadow was unaffected, but Fumikage, physically bound to it, started to float off the ground. She thought, _I learnt this when I pet him after the cavalry battle!_ He tried to have Black Shadow anchor him down, but Ochako already had her hand on the ground, floating up the areas Black Shadow anchored itself to. It chucked the bits of concrete at her, but she dodged and sent more bits of the arena at Fumikage. Black Shadow became distracted in defending him, and soon, the latter was too far for the former to grab anything inside the arena, and when Ochako released them, they landed outside the arena.

Midnight proclaimed, "Fumikage has left the arena! He is eliminated, and Ochako Uraraka moves on to the finals!"

She and Fumikage returned to Class 1-A's seating section, where their classmates were eagerly waiting for their arrival.

Denki was the first to speak. "Yo! Amazing work out there, you two!"

Albeit still slightly sad over his loss, Eijiro said, "Yeah. You did your best to fight back, Tokoyami."

Izuku called out from his seat. "Uraraka! You did well!"

She saw his casts and ran towards him. "Deku? What happened to your arms?!"

"Well, I went to Recovery Girl so they could heal, but I supposed I got too injured in that fight." He was disheartened to say, "I can't move onto the next match because they're still broken, so you're facing Iida in the finals."

"WHAT?! You mean to say that, despite battling your heart out, and winning, you can't move on?!"

"Uraraka, calm down." Tenya, was sitting next to Izuku, spoke up. "All of us have pushed ourselves to our limits so we could have even the smallest glimpse of victory. We all have the people we want to prove ourselves to, such as me towards my brother, Ingenium." He stood up and looked her in the eyes while pointing towards the arena. "Earlier, I said that we were rivals, and that I wouldn't lose without putting up a fight. Now, let's get down there and start the final match."

As the two did some last-minute stretches, Midnight announced, "Due to the injuries Izuku Midoriya sustained in his last battle, he will not be able to fight. Instead, we will have our final round right now with Ochako Uraraka and Tenya Iida! Begin!"

Ochako's starting stance had her hands centimeters from the ground, and she had enough time before to touch her clothes and shoes. Once the match began, Iida immediately revved up his engines into Recipro Burst mode, not wanting to give her the oppurtunity to manipulate the arena. Tenya lunged at her and grabbed her by her jacket, but as he tried to throw her, she used her Quirk to apply a downward force that effectively added 50 kg to her clothes, stopping him from succeeding. He let go and ran off before she could touch him.

Present Mic declared, "It looks like Uraraka refuses to budge! Now, it's only a matter of what will give out first. Will it be Uraraka's will to keep fighting, or will it be Iida's Engine Quirk?"

Ochako saw Tenya ready to rush her again. He sprinted directly towards her, and due to her added weight, she couldn't dodge in time. This time, knowing that he couldn't throw her out, Tenya swiftly kneed her in the stomach, only for her hands to grab his right calf, which he left exposed in order to use his Quirk.

Although slightly dazed from the blow, she was able to whisper, "Gotcha."

Tenya's eyes widened as he felt his right hand rapidly get heavier and heavier until his right arm fell to the ground, taking his body with it. _I-I can't move my arm! It's as if it got several times heavier! Is Uraraka focusing her Quirk on it? She'll immobilize me. I_ have _to end this!_

Ochako barely moved from being hit, as she hadn't negated her Quirk on her clothes. Thus, with the last of his Recipro Burst, Tenya's left foot rocketed into Ochako's chin, sending her reeling backward. She hit her head on the concrete floor and was knocked out from the resulting concussion. Tenya, who felt bad for hitting her so hard, felt his right hand lighten, and he was able to stand up again.

"Ochako Uraraka is unconscious. The winner of this match, and the first-year winner of the U.A. Sports Festival is Tenya Iida of Class 1-A!"

With only a few minutes spent waiting, mostly so Ochako could wake up, the awards ceremony was set up. Izuku and Fumikage stood on the 3rd-place pedestal, the latter waving for Izuku due to his broken arms. Ochako occupied the 2nd-place pedestal, her bright smile hiding her disappointment in her loss. Tenya stood firm on the 1st-place pedestal, waving with a wide smile in the hope that his older brother was watching him. From the edge of the stadium's upper rim, All Might descended to deliver medals to the top contestants.

He worked his way from 3rd place to 1st place. "I congratulate you, Tokoyami. Your strength helped you get so far. However, I would recommend you to develop your ability to act to disadvantageous situations. Strength means nothing if you don't know how to use it."

With a small sigh betraying his large physique, All Might spoke, "Midoriya. You have immense power, a strategic mindset, and a desire to help others get stronger. However, you were unable to advance because you overworked your body and broke it repeatedly." Izuku looked down, ashamed of his recklessness. "I just hope you'll learn to hone your Quirk before irreversible damage is done."

"Uraraka, I don't mean this as an insult, but you were the one who surprised us the most today. As you demonstrated, your Quirk has great potential. Don't worry about your loss, everybody makes mistakes, including me! Hahaha!" He patted her on the back, although she felt conflicted that the person whose attempted assassination she had a hand in was now congratulating her.

Finally, All Might faced Tenya, and as he placed the golden medal around Tenya's neck, he announced, "You have a large pair of shoes to fill, but after seeing your diligence and determination today, I know that those shoes will fit you well." He turned around to face the audience. "No matter how far you got today, everyone has the chance to be standing here! You younglings may be pieces of ore right now, but together, you'll eventually be refined to form the pillars that hold up society! Motivate each other to push your limits and go beyond! Now, join me in one final cheer! One, two, and-"

The crowd roared, "PLUS-"

" **THANKS FOR THE HARD WORK!** "

"UL- huh?!"

"Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to congratulate the students for how hard the worked…"

As Class 1-A exited, Tenya took a moment to turn on his phone, which he had shut off during the tournament out of respect for the other students, so he could call his older brother. However, his eyes came across an urgent message addressed to him. "Wh- what is the meaning of this?!"

As he looked up directions to a specific hospital, Izuku asked him, "What's wrong, Iida?"

Tenya turned to him with a grave expression and answered, "My brother's critically injured."

"What?! What happened to him?"

" **It seems that he came across the hero-killer, Stain."**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows! With this update, the chapters here are nowup to date with the story over at AO3. Also, it'll take one or two weeks to finish the next chapter, though, as I have a lot to do in the upcoming days, so please be patient!**

 **Fun fact: I originally had Tenya and Ochako's fight start with Ochako raising walls around the arena, effectively closing it off, but once I actually did the research and found out that concrete is 2,400 kg per cubic meter, I decided to revamp it so it makes more sense in line with her weight limit. The ending of the fight was the same, though.**


	7. Stained Minds

**Chapter 7: Stained Minds**

As Tenya rushed off to confirm the state of his injured brother for himself, the other students were left to mingle amongst themselves.

Eijiro was worried for him. "He won the tournament, only to find out that the person he's proving himself to got seriously hurt? Man, that's gotta be a big pill to swallow."

Katsuki, reminded that the person who won wasn't him, barked, "Oi! Kirishima, we're having that match _now_!" He started dragging the redhead by the jacket.

"Ah! Okay, okay. No need to get so worked up, Bakugou."

The two got Midnight's permission to have one fight, and the remaining students gathered to watch the fight. Shouta tried to stop her, but she responded, "And leave these two frustrated and wanting for a release? No can do!"

The sequence of events was simple and repetitive. Eijiro hardened his body and attempted to knock out Katsuki with a punch while the latter dodged and assaulted Ejiro with explosion after explosion. After several minutes, Eijiro fell onto his back and conceded, exhausted from the onslaught of attacks.

Katsuki scolded him. "What'd I tell you? You can't beat me by getting hit over and over again." Unexpectedly, he walked up towards Eijiro and offered his hand, much like how Eijiro helped Tetsutetsu up after winning. "You stayed hard for the entirety of the fight, limiting the amount of time you could maintain your Quirk. Still, you took more hits than I thought you would. I'll give you that, Kirishima."

The redhead smirked, took his hand, and said, "What could I have done? You're much stronger than I thought." Midnight was absolutely ecstatic by this show of sportsmanship, but Shouta interrupted them and told the students to go home and to come back after two days.

Later that day, Ochako went to a grocery store near her apartment to stock up on food, looking out for special deals in particular. She was almost immediately recognized by the staff and other shoppers.

"Hey, you're that girl from the U.A. Sports Festival!"

"You looked so badass out there fighting that explosion dude!"

"Hey, are you alright? You took quite the beating from Ingenium's younger brother."

"Still, you're in better shape than that boy who kept hurting himself. He didn't know when to stop!"

As the crowd grew and bombarded her with comments, she thought, _I-is this what pro heroes want after they stop a criminal?_ She thought of show-offy heroes such as Mount Lady, who worked in an urban environment despite the limitations she had due to her Gigantification Quirk. _Is that why they're even working as heroes? For the fame?_

After thirty minutes of non-stop questioning met with uneasy answers, Ochako finished shopping and avoided crowds as she went home. She had just entered her apartment when two figures pounced.

Ochako screamed and held her grocery bags in front of her in self defense. "AH!" She could've sworn that her eyes popped out of their sockets.

To her surprise, the two people turned out to be two very familiar individuals that she hadn't seen since she moved into her apartment. They were her parents, who greeted her with wide grins.

Her father said, "Ochako! It's so nice to see you again," as he patted her on the back and and then quickly embraced her.

"Mom? Dad? Why are you two here? Shouldn't you be working?"

Her mother hugged her too and answered, "When we saw you make it to the finals, we simply _had_ to drop everything to congratulate our dear baby girl."

"You know what this means, Ochako? We're having a party!"

As her parents walked back into the kitchen, Ochako whispered, "How sweet of them." She pondered, _Still, this trip must be wreaking havoc on their financial state. Good work's hard to come by these days, so they're working multiple jobs_ just _so I can attend U.A. High. They really do deserve an easy life, but how long can they keep doing this? It'll be a long time before I can start providing for them..._

Ochako's parents left early the following day, and Ochako took the time to visit Tomura and Kurogiri.

Stepping out of the warp gate, Ochako greeted them. "Good morning, Tomura. Good morning, Kurogiri."

Tomura rubbed his eyes and sipped from the cup of tea in front of him. "What are you doing here at 9 in the morning? Don't you have school today?"

"No, we were given today and tomorrow off, so I asked Kurogiri to bring me here. You seem tired."

"Yeah, I'm tired. I was going over the recordings of the U.A. Sports Festival. I've been up all night watching all the years perform." He rubbed his eyes and gulped down the rest of his drink. "Kurogiri, I need more tea." As Kurogiri filled up his cup, Tomura continued. "It's a shame you had to face off against Iida in the finals. I _hate_ going against people faster than me. They always seem to escape my grasp."

She tilted her head in curiosity. "You seem rather nimble yourself, Tomura. Can you help me build up my speed?"

He shrugged and sipped more tea. "Yeah, I suppose I could. You wanna start today?"

"Sure!"

Kurogiri told Tomura, "If you're going to spar with her, we'll have to bring out the semi-fingerless gloves again so you don't hurt her."

Tomura slammed on the counter with his free hand. "NO! I _hate_ wearing those! They make my hands all sweaty." He noticed Ochako barely suppress a chuckle. "You think this is funny, don't you? Fine. Kurogiri! If I'm wearing those damned things, I want them on her as well!"

Kurogiri thought, _I guess it was a good idea to buy several pairs in case he disintegrated one. If he could just wear them daily, we wouldn't have to keep buying more cups,_ as he warily eyed Tomura's cup for signs of decay.

In the junkyard, Tomura spoke to Ochako as both put on gloves to prevent their Quirks from activating. "Before the sports festival, we worked on developing your Quirk and your endurance. Now, we'll work on your maneuverability and reflexes. I want you to try and touch me with your entire hand, as if you're trying to use your Quirk."

Try as she might, Ochako couldn't even lay a finger on Tomura, who kept stepping out of her way. When the roles were reversed, Ochako was never able to dodge in time. After an hour, Ochako was exhausted and out-of-breath. Panting heavily, she asked, "How… are you able… to go that fast?"

"Sensei did the same sort of training to me. That's how I know this'll work for you. Ready to keep going?"

"Hah… yeah. Let's go!"

* * *

Two days of physical training went by quickly, and when Ochako went back to school, she found Tenya talking to Izuku. She asked the former, "Hey, Iida! How's your brother holding up? I hear that he's in stable condition."

He replied, "Yes, he woke up two days ago. He was overjoyed to find out that I won the U.A. Sports Festival." He grimaced as he continued. "However, the doctors say that due to his injuries, he will be forced to retire. Still… I'm happy knowing that he is safe now."

When class started, Shouta, now rid of his bandages and casts, showed the students a bar graph depicting the number of draft picks the finalists of the Sports Festival received. Tenya, the brother of the now-retired pro hero Ingenium and the festival's winner, had the most picks at 2,649. Ochako, a dark horse that won over the crowd, had 2,278. Fumikage won over 1,837 picks, while Shouto, who didn't even make it to third place, received 1,552 due to his powerful Quirk and his father's reputation. Despite placing third alongside Fumikage, Izuku received none, while the other students who participated in the third stage of the sports festival were lucky to over a hundred of picks. He couldn't blame the hero agencies, though. While his sheer determination won the fight for him, Izuku made a name for himself as an absolute maniac, risking life and limb to use a dangerous strength, to the point where the victory cost him the ability to continue fighting in the tournament. Who'd want someone as self-destructive as him?

After notifying the class of the draft picks, Shouta moved onto the topic of deciding on hero names, letting Midnight take over as he rested. Some names ranged from from endearing, such as Tsuyu's 'Froppy,' to head-scratching, as Shouto chose his first name for his hero name. Much to Ochako's enjoyment, Katsuki couldn't both please Midnight and include some form of the word 'kill,' forcing him to try again, and as they passed each other, Ochako made sure that he knew that she was enjoying every second of it with a sadistic smirk. When he glared at her, she returned in kind. After sitting down in front of Izuku, Katsuki asked him a question.

In an uncommonly used whisper, he asked, "Oi, Deku. Do you know why she keeps staring at me with that shit-eating grin?"

Izuku flinched in surprise. "Kacchan! Um, well, she doesn't like you for personal reasons, so she's enjoying the sight of you failing?" Izuku shrugged nervously as he glanced at Katsuki's right arm, waiting for a potential right hook.

"Tch. Guess you aren't as useless as I thought, if you could tell me that." He looked towards Ochako and started yelling. "Uraraka! You think this is funny?"

Having just finished explaining her name, 'Uravity', Ochako tilted her head in mock confusion. "I have no idea what you mean, Bakugou. I'm just enjoying seeing my classmates come up with creative names, and uh, good luck on yours." Her grin returned as she continued, "I know you'll need it."

"Wh- I'll kill you, floating fuck!" He leapt out of his chair in rage.

With a crack of her whip, Midnight silenced him. "Katsuki Bakugou. Stop your behavior this instant and start thinking of a _different_ hero name, because if you don't…" She licked her lips and gazed at him seductively. "Well, I believe that calls for punishment."

Katsuki whispered under his breath. "Yeah, yeah. Got it, you old hag."

She cracked her whip again, calmly asking through clenched teeth, " _Excuse me_?"

"Nothing." He returned to his seat, aware and pissed that Ochako smiled even wider.

Tenya was next to present. Looking straight at his peers, he announced, "I… am going with my given name for now." Walking back to his desk, he thought, _My brother may think that I'm now worthy of the name Ingenium, but so long as his assailant roams, I can't agree with him!_

Izuku, making good on his declaration during the sports festival, chose 'Deku,' but Katsuki couldn't come up with a name, thus forcing him to meet with Midnight after classes to discuss proper hero name etiquette and overall etiquette.

* * *

Two days later, Ochako started her internship under Gunhead. As he taught her the very basics of Gunhead Martial Arts, she couldn't help but ask, "I've heard that the government pays you based on your merit. How does it work?"

"Oh, that? I submit reports detailing what work I've done, usually helping civilians and what I've done to assist the capture of villains. The specialty organization checks them to confirm their validity, and they deposit money into my bank account accordingly, okay? It's _pretty_ much commision."

"Really? Do people try to abuse the system by writing false reports?"

"Yeah, every now and then the specialty organization comes across a report that exaggerates the truth. There _was_ one time that a hero claimed to have taken down a villain single-handedly while another hero reported that he worked with the first to take town the villain, which lead to the revoking of the former's hero license for fraud. Another time, a hero bribed an agent to increase their pay, but they got caught as well."

"Is that true?" She stared with a slight disgust. "I thought they'd be better than that."

Gunhead shook his head. "Although people may perform good actions, it doesn't mean that they're inherently good people. Same goes with their intentions. That's why I'm picky with my students. Martial arts, just like Quirks, are dangerous when used inappropriately. I need to know if the person I'm teaching would use them only in defense.

"Why choose me, then? Didn't you see what I did to Bakugou?"

"I saw how you fought, Uraraka. That massive attack was your last resort, used only when your other approaches failed. You should treat Gunhead Martial Arts in the same manner. When words fail you, let your actions speak loud and clear. Got it?" A nod was the only answer he needed.

As Gunhead taught Ochako his methods of taking down people armed with fists, blades, or blunt objects, he was surprised and impressed to find out that she was a fast learner, having managed to take him down by her second day.

As he lay on the ground, he commented, "You didn't move that quickly during the sports festival! What changed, Uraraka?"

As she helped him up, she responded, "Ah, well, I decided to train my reflexes soon after, seeing as how I couldn't keep up with Iida."

"That's great! Tell you what, you're done for today. I won't have much to teach you if we keep going at this rate." He muttered, "Maybe that boy you talked to earlier is done."

Ochako stammered, her blush stickers growing darker ever so slightly, "H-he's just a classmate. A good friend of mine."

He patted her back and gave a hearty laugh. "I'm just teasing ya, Uraraka. I believe you, and I think that kid trusts you as well."

* * *

So long as his son excelled, Enji Todoroki, better known to the world as Endeavor, couldn't care less about what decisions Shouto made. However, Shouto's decision to apply to his father's hero office caused him to raise a fiery eyebrow in curiosity. As soon as his son stepped into his office, Endeavor started interrogating.

"So, Shouto, you finally come back to me." He noticed Shouto avoid direct eye contact, but continued. "I haven't forgotten about your act of defiance during the sports festival. However, I felt generous enough to send that draft pick. Tell me, why did you accept?"

As his father's face moved closer to his own, Shouto resisted the urge to pull back. He could feel the intense heat radiate from Endeavor's ignited facial hair. He took a few moments to decide on an answer. Under his father's scrutiny, he replied, "Because, despite my power, I came in third. You've been second place for years now, so I thought I'd learn what it takes to even make it to second."

If only for a moment, Endeavor's expression bore a gentle smirk before he looked away from Shouto. "Very well." He scanned the various newspaper clippings scattered across his desk. Each one contained some article about Stain, the hero-killer, and the date of each article was written on the top right corner while the location was scribbled on the top left.

Endeavor opened the door to his sidekicks' offices, and announced "I will be heading to Hosu City to pursue the murderer, Stain. Please prepare yourselves for our departure, as I will too." He looked towards his son and continued, "That includes you, Shouto. Let my actions speak for me. When you are ready, head to the ground floor. My assistants will guide you from there." As Shouto closed the door behind him, Endeavor thought, _Hero-killer, you WILL be found and brought to justice! You are a detriment to the peace we heroes have long fought for, and I will not rest until you are behind bars!_

* * *

That night, Ochako asked Kurogiri to warp her to the bar, where she told Tomura about her internship with Gunhead. Tomura looked up from his game to question Ochako. "Gunhead? I thought you wanted to rescue people. Why go to him?"

"Because, Tomura, Gunhead specializes in grabs, throws, and pins. With his technique, I could maximize the effectiveness of my Quirk in subduing others."

Pausing the game, he took a few seconds to realize the practicality of learning submission techniques. "... Shit. That would actually be a worthwhile art to learn. Hell, it'd make killing people with _my_ Quirk that much easier if I could get them to stop moving! You _have_ to teach me after your internship, Ochako."

She leapt with joy. "Finally! You called me Ochako!"

"... Shut up."

As the two continued their banter, Kurogiri paced back and forth in an adjacent room in front of a masked man. He asked, "Master, I'm not sure if now is the right time to bring _him_ in. He could kill them!"

Sensei, dressed in a black suit, dress pants, and a helmet cluttered with pipes, responded, "Which is why I'm standing with you in this room. I will stop him before he would kill her or Tomura. Now, go. He might leave Hosu if we dawdle." He decided, _They must know what they strive for as to accomplish it, even in the face of an unwavering foe. Better now, while I'm still here, to help them figure it out._

Three minutes later, a warp gate appeared in front of Tomura while Ochako stood behind it. Out of the black mist emerged a man who could paint a room red with fear. His face and arms were wrapped in bandages. He wore a red bandana and scarf that billowed in the wind rushing from the warp gate, sheathed knives adorned the sides of his vest while two larger blades were strapped to his back, and his boots were not only metal-tipped but had spikes on the front. His eyes darted around observing the area in front of him, and as he laid his eyes on Tomura, his hand went towards the katana on his back. He spoke gruffly, "You're Tomura Shigaraki?" Everything about this stranger drove dread right into the core of Ochako's psyche. Had it not been for the portal's black mist, he would've certainly spotted her.

"Yes. I'm glad that you accepted the offer to meet me here, Stain the hero-killer. Now then, let's make this quick. You and I are alike. We both want to remove these trashy heroes from the face of this world, don't we? Join us, and together we'll crush these heroes into dust!" He looked past Stain towards Ochako and then glanced to his left, telling her to hide before the hero-killer noticed.

The man immediately scoffed and retorted, "You and I? Alike? You tried to kill All Might, the only true hero this society has! What's more, you kill for amusement, not for conviction! Weak-willed villains like you are what made heroism a career! A popularity contest!" He tugged at one of his knives. " _You_ are the reason these fake heroes are so rampant in society!"

Tomura hated that Stain was much faster than him, and he cursed as the knife sunk into his shoulder. He cursed again when he was knocked down by Stain and pinned to the floor.

Kurogiri, who had already reformed into his normal form, cried out, "Shigaraki! Stain, this was not part of our agreeme- Agh!" In an instant, another knife flew across the room and into his shoulder, and in the next instant, Stain had licked the blood that started to gush out, incapacitating Kurogiri with his Quirk. As he did so, his eyes focused on the one person he had not seen as he entered the room, Ochako.

Even without his Quirk, Ochako felt paralyzed. Upon discovering her, Stain had a moment of confusion. As soon as she blinked, he was upon her. He attempted to slice across her right cheek with his knife, and Ochako's mind succeeded where her body failed. She used her Quirk to send herself flying towards her right, but he managed to cut her. The wound was deep enough to spill blood, and as soon as Stain licked the knife, Ochako felt her body become unresponsive from the head down, her Quirk ceasing to work, and she collapsed on the ground, her eyes watching the hero-killer tower over her.

Stain had stopped caring about U.A. once he left it, but news of the sports festival were impossible to escape. "You… you're from U.A., right? One of the freshmen? Tell me," he ordered as he held his knife centimeters from her jugular vein, "why are you here?"

Having the fear of death turn her blood into ice, Ochako was far too terrified to answer, so Tomura answered for her. "Isn't it obvious? She's with me. She's like a sister to me, so _don't you even think of hurting her again_!"

"What?! So you're a mole?! So you stand amongst your classmates calling yourself a rising hero when you reveal their weaknesses to their enemy? Disgusting. There's no point helping both sides, kid. It just shows that you lack the strength to even _choose_ a side. Regardless of what you _do_ choose, those willing to help villains are no better than the villains they support. Admit it. There's no chance in hell you could _ever_ be a true hero!" In a panic, Tomura got up and grasped the knife in his shoulder in vain, as he knew he wouldn't be fast enough to intercept the hero-killer before Ochako's blood stained the wooden floor.

As Stain raised his knife, Ochako thought, _Is this how I die? Unable to even speak for myself? Think, Ochako, think!_

She dove into the depths of her mind, not looking for the words that would please the hero-killer, but to remember her motive behind joining the League of Villains. If she were to die, she at least wanted to confess to her killer why she acted the way she did. Before he could plunge the blade into her neck, she discovered the words to express her perspective, and she screamed to her would-be executioner with newfound conviction.

"I wouldn't be _anything_ without the Quirk I was given!"

Stain paused, gazing at her expectantly. "Oh? What's this?"

"I-I was born Quirkless. So were my parents. People would ridicule me and the other Quirkless kids, even though their Quirks barely affected their lives at all! A girl I knew killed herself for the chance to be reborn with a Quirk! It's this society's fault for placing so much emphasis on Quirks! Without Sensei giving me Zero Gravity, I wouldn't ever be seen as normal. I wouldn't ever make the hero course. _That's_ why I'm with the League of Villains. I don't want to protect a society that shuns the Quirkless who work to their limits but are easily bested by people born with the right Quirk."

Stain lowered his arms slowly,, waiting for more details. "So? What will you do?"

"I… I'll make it learn its mistakes, even if I have to become the villain it fears."

Stain contemplated her words, and he turned to Tomura, who had completely disintegrated the embedded knife and glared at him with a malicious yet protective intent. The hero-killer asked, "And what about you? Why do you want to kill All Might so badly?"

Tomura was caught off guard by Stain's query. Why _did_ he want to kill All Might so much? When he dealt with the common thugs, his goal was enough reason. Then, the answer struck him.

Confidently, he answered, "I get it now. I want to kill All Might because he's what comes to mind with the word 'hero'!"

"What's that have to do with anything?"

"When I needed a hero, not one would answer the call. That's when Sensei took me in and taught me of the darkness within heroes. Heroes like Captain Celebrity, Mt. Lady, even Endeavor, all work for their own benefit. When people think of the word 'hero', they think of the selfless All Might. All Might's the light that outshines the darkness within these heroes! If he died, and someone like Endeavor became _the_ face of heroes, then the public would start questioning what made a hero. The society built upon heroes would fall once its pillar of peace crumbles!"

The hero-killer, satisfied with the response, sheathed his knife. "It seems that I was mistaken. You two show the resolve to change the world as you see fit. I'll let you live, as I'm curious to see if you have the strength to follow through." He turned to Kurogiri, who started to tremble. Stain thought, _My taste buds are still fine. His blood tasted like type O, and the girl should be type B._

Kurogiri announced with amazement, "I-I can move again!"

"Perfect timing. Now take me back to Hosu City. I have unfinished business there."

Ochako, who was still paralyzed on the floor, cried out, "Wait! I still can't move! Can you please stop your Quirk?"

"Sorry, kid. My Quirk doesn't work like that. Just give it a few more minutes." With those last words, he stepped into the black mist and disappeared. True to his word, Ochako managed to stand up after about six minutes while Tomura dressed his wound. Just when she thought the day had run out of surprises, Sensei entered the room.

Simultaneously, Tomura and Ochako spoke, "Sensei!"

"Greetings, Tomura, Ochako. I was waiting in the adjacent room in case the hero-killer got… _too_ violent."

Tomura pointed at Ochako. "Too violent? He nearly _killed her_ , Sensei!"

Sensei let out a sigh, the sound gaining a metallic echo from the pipes that adorned him. "I know, and I'm sorry for the harm he caused the two of you. However, I believe that this was for the best."

Ochako spoke up, "This… was to help us?"

Tomura ran his hands over his hair furiously. "What?! How could a near-death experience help us?"

Sensei shook his head. "It is through brushes with death where people find their true selves. Some grovel and weakly beg for their lives. Others discover their ambitions and fight not for their lives, but for the realization of those ambitions. I am overjoyed to find out that you two were part of the latter. I know that we intended to have Stain simply join the League of Villains, but your growth is far more important to me."

Perhaps it was from watching both Tomura and Ochako develop, but he felt pride seeing them find their purpose in the world. He chuckled, and thought, _Perhaps the times are finally changing. Perhaps the lines between hero, villain, and vigilate will finally be altered, if not eradicated. Just as I wanted._

Tomura spoke up, "Sensei, perhaps we could still make use of this opportunity. Just give me some Noumu to wreak havoc on Hosu City! That way, everyone will associate Stain with us!"

"Very well. I'll grant you three. The other three will be improved further. Kurogiri, do not forget to send Ochako home."

"As you wish."

* * *

Shortly after she got home, Ochako received a text from Izuku. Oddly enough, it only held an address in Hosu, Tokyo. She wondered why he'd do something this random, but remembering Stain's last words, she reasoned, _He must be in trouble!_ She decided to text Tomura if he knew about this, writing, _Hey, Tomura? Are you still in Hosu city right now?_

Less than a minute later, she received a reply. _Yeah i'm watching the noumus destroy the place why?_

 _Deku texted me an address in Hosu City. If you're not fighting him, I think Stain is!_

 _Really? Text me the address ive got to see this_

 _It's a narrow lane by Ekou St., 4-2-10._

As Tomura read the address, Kurogiri tapped his shoulder and told him, "The news copter caught sight of us."

"Ignore them. We've got to get to Ekou Street ASAP. Stain's fighting Midoriya."

"But you're too injured to join!"

"I know that! We'll just spectate the match from above. I don't have to fight to gain EXP. Now go! That twerp has probably broken several bones by now!" The creation of a warp gate followed a sigh of relief.

Stepping out of the black mist and onto the rooftop, Tomura looked into the alley below. A gust of warm air rushed at him. Below in the otherwise dark alley, Shouto Todoroki's fire illuminated the scene around him. A hero was sprawled near him, bleeding but alive. Two more, Izuku Midoriya and Tenya Iida, laid on the ground, unmoving. In front of them was the hero-killer, showing few signs of injury despite the number he presumably faced.

Tomura commented, "Looks like Midoriya's message actually worked."

He and Kurogiri watched as Shouto faced Stain on his own. Despite the former naturally having a stronger Quirk, the latter's agility closed the power gap. What caught Tomura's attention repeatedly was Stain's combat ability. Every move flowed into another, as blood flows from a fresh gaping wound. Despite being paralyzed, Izuku deduced that Stain's Quirk relied on blood type for duration, and had Izuku and Iida not regained movement, Shouto would've certainly lost.

Tomura scratched his throat lightly as he thought, _I see. It's not enough to have a powerful Quirk. To become truly fearsome, I also need to fight well enough to baffle and overwhelm opponents. But how can I do that?_ He grinned wryly as he continued. _Maybe Midoriya knows. He's smart enough to figure out Stain's Quirk, so perhaps he can help me with mine._

Once Tenya and Izuku managed to knock the hero-killer out with a simultaneous kick and punch, Tomura pulled back to avoid being caught in Shouto's following attack. He looked to Kurogiri.

"Kurogiri, I've seen enough. Let's get out of here. The heroes will be here any minute and will spot us on this roof."

"Agreed."

* * *

The news exploded with reports of the attack on Hosu city the next morning. However, most of the attention was given to the captured killer and the heroes that were there to witness his capture, while the ones that truly terrorized the city, the Noumus, were more of an afterthought. Tomura didn't mind, for the intended message was sent. The world connected Stain to the League of Villains, and although he was thrown into an underground maximum security prison, unlikely to ever see the light of day again, his words and actions would forever stain the public's mind. Some looked up to the hero-killer and attempted to follow in his footsteps, and others had their views of heroes worsen, now having someone to assure them that there was truth to their suspicions about the the general state of heroes. Mentions of corruption in the hero system, once met with looks of disdain, were now the talk of the town.

In a cafe, three people, two girls and a boy, sat down to order drinks and discuss the latest turn of events. The waitress stared at them with a moment of hesitation and confusion, but wrote their orders down regardless.

One girl with golden hair tied into a long ponytail started their conversation, unveiling the newspaper she had with her for the others to view. "Can you believe it? Not only was Stain captured last night, but he was also found to have ties with the League of Villains, the same group that attacked U.A. High a few months ago! What are the odds?!" Her yellow eyes glistened with excitement.

Her friend with dark brown hair reaching as far down as her shoulders responded, "Seem a bit too convenient if you ask me." She stared blankly into the distance as she spoke. Her pupils shrank to the point where they seemed nonexistent, leaving only her cyan irises. The people sitting with her, staring directly at her, were indifferent to this shift in appearance.

The first girl tilted her head. "Hm? What do you mean?"

The boy gently rubbed his combed-back red hair, searching for an answer as his magenta eyes anxiously darted around the table. He spoke softly, as though his voice alone would cause the table to shake. "M-maybe they intended to unleash those… _things_ on the same night he was captured. As a sort of publicity stunt, perhaps."

As the blonde thought about his theory, the other girl, now having visible pupils, stood up and told the others, "We have to leave. Now."

The blonde watched as the boy stood up, but she refused to get up. "B-but our drinks…"

The brunette whispered, "The waitress called the police on us. They'll find us here if we don't leave." The other girl sprung from her chair upon hearing this.

"Wh-What?!" Her shock implied that she would've screamed the word out, but instead it was heard as softly as a whisper..

The three left the cafe with a hastened pace. Once it was out of sight, and not a person would hear them talk, the redhead pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as he spoke, "I _knew_ you should've chosen a different hair dye. The one you chose looks too close to your natural hair color!"

The blonde stuck her tongue out at him. "At least _I_ made an effort to change my appearance. I had to get hair extensions to make this ponytail _and_ makeup to hide my freckles! All you did was your hair dyed. That's not gonna fool anyone. Anyway, who would suspect someone on the run to only _slightly_ change the color of their hair?"

"The waitress, apparently. Did you see the way she stared at you?"

"What?! No, she was staring at you!"

Before the conversation would worsen, the brunette spoke up. "She was staring at _all of us_. I believe that it was our eyes that gave us away. They posted colored pictures of us, after all. I know not one of us is particularly excited at the idea, but now would be the time to add colored contacts to our disguises. Understand?"

The two glanced back to her and sighed. Both replied, "Understood."

"Good. Now as for the League of Villains, we wait. We shouldn't join a group simply because Stain's associated with them."

The brunette stared at her. "Wait for what?"

" **For further proof that the League of Villains has an agenda against U.A. High."**

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, fellows. I suppose I'll start off with an apology for past readers for leading you on for so long. A chapter that shouldn't have taken more than a month took seven instead, and despite the countless hours of free time over the summer and winter, I neglected this story, the one that got me into writing in the first place. However, a hurdle that I was afraid to clear, Ochako's conviction, has now been past. I truly don't want to give up on this story, and the optimistic side of me says that I can go faster now that I've surpassed this speed bump. The pessemistic side of me tells me that I might not have time now to write it, what with midterms coming up. As for the questios of making this story have Izuocha, I've intended to do so for months now, but I will warn you that it will be an incredibly slow burn, both because of the story and myself.**


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